Association of duration of undernutrition with occurrence of tuberculosis.

Undernutrition is a risk factor of tuberculosis (TB), but the association between duration of undernutrition and occurrence of TB is inconclusive. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in occurrence of TB according to the duration of undernutrition expressed as accumulated number of underweight in Republic of Korea, an intermediate TB burden country. The National Health Insurance database was used.Eligible subjects were individuals who received a national health examination between 1 and 2009 and 31 December 2010, and who also had received health examinations for four consecutive years prior to 2009.Finally included individuals in the analysis were followed until 31 December 2017. Accumulated number of underweight was defined as the number of times recorded as underweight over four consecutive years. The outcome of the study was newly diagnosed TB according to accumulated number of underweight. Among a study population of 2,396,434, TB was identified in 9,322 (3.89%) cases. The highest accumulated number of underweight was significantly associated with occurrence of TB (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.563, 95% CI 2.319-2.833). This association remained consistent after adjusting for demographic factors and underlying diseases (aHR 3.326, 95% CI 3.004-3.84). In stratified analysis based on age, sex, diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN), and waist circumference (WC) in metabolic syndrome (MS), age and sex were identified as effect modifiers. Occurrence of TB was significantly higher in the group with the highest accumulated number of underweight under 65 years of age.

Lifestyle changes and risk of tuberculosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A nationwide cohort study.

We investigated the impacts of lifestyle changes, namely, smoking, alcohol intake, and exercise, on the development of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A retrospective population-based cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance system database. We examined subjects diagnosed with T2DM and without previous history of TB between 2009 and 2012 who underwent two serial health examinations. The study participants were classified into each of the four groups based on changes in the patterns of smoking, alcohol intake, and exercise at the time of the second examination. The outcome of the study was newly diagnosed TB in patients with T2DM. Among 1,659,804 included subjects, TB was newly diagnosed with 10,288 subjects. Both consistent smokers (HR 1.406; 95% CI 1.333-1.483) and new smokers (HR 1.185; 95% CI 1.063-1.320) had a higher TB risk than smoking quitters (HR 1.107; 95% CI 1.009-1.216) and never smokers. Both consistent heavy drinkers (HR 1.281; 95% CI 1.172-1.399) and heavy drinking quitters (HR 1.247; 95% CI 1.147-1.356) had a higher TB risk than new heavy drinkers and never drinkers. With respect to exercise, persistent non-exercisers (HR 1.309; 95% CI 1.72-1.399) and exercise quitters (HR 1.164; 95% CI 1.066-1.271) had a higher TB risk than new exercisers. In the subgroup analysis, a significant interaction was observed between lifestyle changes and age. We found that lifestyle changes were associated with development of TB in patients with T2DM. These results suggest that lifestyle management could be a valuable strategy for control of TB in Korea.

Seroprevalence of Varicella-Zoster Virus and Measles among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Medical Center in Korea.

Measles and varicella still occur in the general population despite the widespread vaccination against them, and healthcare workers (HCWs) are still at risk of exposure to these diseases. Here, we evaluated the seroprevalence of measles and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in HCWs and the trend of seroprevalence according to age, birth year, and occupational group. The serostatuses of measles and VZV of HCWs during new employee medical examinations between October 2015 and October 2021 were included. Thereafter, the trends of seroprevalence according to age, birth year, and occupational groups were evaluated. Overall, 2070 and 1827 HCWs were evaluated for VZV and measles serostatus, respectively. The seroprevalences of VZV and measles were 91% (1884/2070) and 70% (1284/1827), respectively. Younger HCWs had a significantly lower seroprevalence of measles (p = 0.02, age) and VZV (p = 0.003, birth year and p < 0.001, age). The seroprevalence of measles and VZV was significantly higher among doctors and nursing assistants than among nurses and other HCWs (p < 0.001 in both). In conclusion, the seroprevalence of measles and VZV significantly decreased in younger HCWs. Additionally, monitoring the serostatus of measles and VZV and the immunization of susceptible HCWs are required to prepare and control infectious diseases in healthcare facilities.

Performance of presepsin and procalcitonin predicting culture-proven bacterial infection and 28-day mortality: A cross sectional study.

Presepsin is a highly specific biomarker for diagnosing bacterial infections, but its clinical usefulness is not well validated. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Among the patients suspected bacterial infection or fulfilled the criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and patients who underwent blood culture, presepsin, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) at the same time were included. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and logistic regression were used to compare performance of three biomarkers. A total of 757 patients were enrolled, including 256 patients (33.8%) with culture-proven bacterial infection and 109 patients (14.4%) with bacteremia. The 28-day mortality rate was 8.6%. ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) of PCT was higher than that of presepsin for both culture-proven bacterial infection (0.665 and 0.596, respectively; p = 0.003) and bacteremia (0.791 and 0.685; p < 0.001). In contrast, AUC of PCT for 28-day mortality was slower than presepsin (0.593 and 0.720; p = 0.002). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, PCT showed the highest ORs for culture-proven bacterial infection (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.55-3.19; p < 0.001) and for bacteremia (OR 5.18, 95% CI 3.13-8.56; p < 0.001), while presepsin showed the highest OR for 28-day mortality (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.67-6.54; p < 0.001). CRP did not show better performance than PCT or presepsin in any of the analyses. PCT showed the best performance predicting culture-proven bacterial infection and bacteremia, while presepsin would rather be useful as a prognostic marker.

Correlation between antibiotic consumption and the incidence of healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection: a retrospective chart review and analysis.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and is associated with morbidity and mortality. The use of antibiotics is an important risk factor for healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection. We evaluated the correlation between the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection and antibiotic consumption, according to antibiotic class. METHODS: Patients with healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection from January 2017 to December 2018 at Konkuk University Medical Center (a tertiary medical center) were included. We evaluated changes in the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection and antibiotic consumption. The correlation between the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection and antibiotic consumption was evaluated two ways: without a time interval and with 1-month interval matching. RESULTS: A total of 446 episodes of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection occurred during the study period. The incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection was 9.3 episodes per 10,000 patient-days, and increased significantly. We observed an increase in the consumption of ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitors, and a decrease in the consumption of other classes of antibiotics, with a significant decrease in the consumption of fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and clindamycin (P = 0.01, P < 0.001, and P = 0.001, respectively). The consumption of ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitors was independently correlated with the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection in the analysis without a time interval. When the analysis was conducted with 1-month interval matching, glycopeptide consumption was independently associated with the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the reduction in fluoroquinolone and clindamycin consumption, the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection increased during the study period, and was correlated with increased consumption of ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitors. Reduced consumption of specific antibiotics may be insufficient to reduce the incidence of healthcare facility-onset C. difficile infection.

A COVID-19 Exposure at a Dental Clinic Where Healthcare Workers Routinely Use Particulate Filtering Respirators.

Asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients produce a considerable amount of virus and transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through close contact. Preventing in-hospital transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is challenging, since symptom-based screening protocols may miss asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic patients. In particular, dental healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of exposure, as face-to-face contact and exposure to oral secretions is unavoidable. We report exposure of HCWs during dental procedures on a mild symptomatic COVID-19 patient. A 32-year-old male visited a dental clinic at a tertiary care hospital. He experienced mild cough, which started three days before the dental visit, but did not report his symptom during the entrance screening. He underwent several dental procedures and imaging for orthognathic surgery without wearing a mask. Seven HCWs were closely exposed to the patient during dental procedures that could have generated droplets and aerosols. One HCW had close contact with the patient during radiologic exams, and seven HCWs had casual contact. All HCWs wore particulate filtering respirators with 94% filter capacity and gloves, but none wore eye protection or gowns. The next day, the patient experienced dysgeusia and was diagnosed with COVID-19 with high viral load. All HCWs who had close contact with the patient were quarantined for 14 days, and polymerase chain reaction and antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 were negative. This exposure event suggests the protective effect of particulate filtering respirators in dental clinics. The recommendations of different levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) for dental HCWs according to the procedure types should be established according to the planned procedure, the risk of COVID-19 infection of the patient, and the outbreak situation of the community.

Impact of antiviral treatment on long-term prognosis in non-immunocompromised patients with CMV reactivation.

BACKGROUND: Reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) occurs in non-immunocompromised patients with or without specific organ involvement, but it is still unknown whether it has a clinical implication on long-term prognosis or not. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study evaluating non-immunocompromised adult patients with CMV reactivation was conducted during the period between January 2010 and February 2018. Patients were divided into ganciclovir-treated and non-treated groups. Patients who died within 30 days from CMV reactivation were excluded as they died from complex causes of conditions. Survivors were followed for 30-months to evaluate long-term prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 136 patients with CMV reactivation was included, consisting of 66 ganciclovir-treated (48.5%) and 70 non-treated (51.5%) patients. Overall, patients were old-aged (median 70 years old) and most were treated with pneumonia of any cause (91.2%). More patients in ganciclovir-treated group were treated at intensive care unit (43.9% vs 24.3%, respectively) and had higher viral load over 5000 copies/ml (48.5% vs 22.9%) than non-treated group (all P < 0.05). Primary and secondary endpoints including 30-months survival (28.0 vs 38.9%, respectively) and 12-months survival (40.3% vs 49.2%) were not statistically different between the ganciclovir-treated and non-treated groups. In the multivariate analyses, ganciclovir treatment was not associated with 30-months survival (HR 1.307, 95% CI 0.759-2.251) and 12-months survival (HR 1.533, 95% CI 0.895-2.624). CONCLUSION: In a retrospective cohort study evaluating non-immunocompromised patients with CMV reactivation, ganciclovir treatment was not associated with long-term prognosis. Antiviral treatment in this condition would not be necessary unless organ involvement is suspected.

Clinical Benefits of Piperacillin/Tazobactam versus a Combination of Ceftriaxone and Clindamycin in the Treatment of Early, Non-Ventilator, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in a Community-Based Hospital.

PURPOSE: There is an increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms worldwide. Therefore, broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended in the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). However, it remains controversial whether patients with early onset, non-ventilator HAP (NV-HAP) should also be empirically treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. We compared the clinical benefit of ceftriaxone plus clindamycin vs piperacillin/tazobactam as the initial empirical treatment of adults with early NV-HAP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study was conducted in adult patients who were diagnosed with early, NV-HAP between January 2013 and June 2017 at a community-based tertiary care hospital. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they had received empiric treatment with either ceftriaxone and clindamycin or piperacillin/tazobactam for at least 3 days. Patients with increased risk of MDR pathogens were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients were treated with ceftriaxone and clindamycin, while 124 received piperacillin/tazobactam. There were no significant differences between the two antibiotic groups with regard to median age, sex, or risk of pneumonia. The 30-day all-cause mortality did not differ significantly between the ceftriaxone plus clindamycin and piperacillin/tazobactam groups (4.5% vs 1.6%, P=0.202, respectively). However, in multivariate analysis, clinical failure was more frequent in the ceftriaxone plus clindamycin group than in the piperacillin/tazobactam group (HR 3.316; 95% CI, 1.589-6918, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam was more effective than that with ceftriaxone plus clindamycin in patients with early NV-HAP. This study supports the recent treatment recommendations that patients with early NV-HAP should be treated empirically with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Risk of transmission via medical employees and importance of routine infection-prevention policy in a nosocomial outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS): a descriptive analysis from a tertiary care hospital in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: In 2015, South Korea experienced an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and our hospital experienced a nosocomial MERS infection. We performed a comprehensive analysis to identify the MERS transmission route and the ability of our routine infection-prevention policy to control this outbreak. METHODS: This is a case-cohort study of retrospectively analysed data from medical charts, closed-circuit television, personal interviews and a national database. We analysed data of people at risk of MERS transmission including 228 in the emergency department (ED) and 218 in general wards (GW). Data of personnel location and movement, personal protection equipment and hand hygiene was recorded. Transmission risk was determined as the extent of exposure to the index patient: 1) high risk: staying within 2 m; 2) intermediate risk: staying in the same room at same time; and 3) low risk: only staying in the same department without contact. RESULTS: The index patient was an old patient admitted to our hospital. 11 transmissions from the index patient were identified; 4 were infected in our hospital. Personnel in the ED exhibited higher rates of compliance with routine infection-prevention methods as observed objectively: 93% wore a surgical mask and 95.6% washed their hands. Only 1.8% of personnel were observed to wear a surgical mask in the GW. ED had a higher percentage of high-risk individuals compared with the GW (14.5% vs. 2.8%), but the attack rate was higher in the GW (16.7%; l/6) than in the ED (3%; 1/33). There were no transmissions in the intermediate- and low-risk groups in the ED. Otherwise 2 patients were infected in the GW among the low-risk group. MERS were transmitted to them indirectly by staff who cared for the index patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provide compelling evidence that routine infection-prevention policies can greatly reduce nosocomial transmission of MERS. Conventional isolation is established mainly from contact tracing of patients during a MERS outbreak. But it should be extended to all people treated by any medical employee who has contact with MERS patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02605109 , date of registration: 11th November 2015.

Oral mucormycosis in patients with haematologic malignancies in a bone marrow transplant unit.

Mucormycosis is an aggressive and life-threatening opportunistic fungal infection, which predominantly affects immunocompromised patients. It typically manifests in rhinocerebral, pulmonary or disseminated forms in patients with immunosuppressive conditions. Mucormycosis limited to the oral cavity is rare, and to the best of our knowledge only seven cases have previously been reported in English literature. We present five consecutive cases of oral mucormycosis in patients with leukaemia, and provide a literature review.

A randomized controlled trial of prophylactic antibiotics in the prevention of electrocoagulation syndrome after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is currently commonly performed, but colorectal ESD has a substantial risk of adverse events, including post-ESD electrocoagulation syndrome (PEECS). We investigated whether the use of prophylactic antibiotics can reduce the occurrence of PEECS. METHODS: Patients who underwent colorectal ESD were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment regimens. Ampicillin and/or sulbactam mixed with normal saline solution was administered 1 hour before ESD in group 1 then additionally injected every 8 hours twice more. In group 2, normal saline solution without antibiotics was administered following the same schedule. We investigated the characteristics of the patients and tumors, the incidence of PEECS, laboratory findings, and the visual analog scale (VAS) score for abdominal pain measured on the morning after ESD. RESULTS: A total of 100 cases (50 per group) were finally analyzed, and 97 tumors were successfully resected en bloc. The number of patients having C-reactive protein (CRP) levels ≥1 mg/dL and the number of patients having VAS scores for abdominal pain ≥1 were greater in group 2 than in group 1 (P = .008 and .023, respectively). The incidence of PEECS in group 2 also was higher than that in group 1 (1 and 8 in groups 1 and 2, respectively; P = .031). CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic use of ampicillin and/or sulbactam in colorectal ESD is associated with reduced risk of PEECS, decreased CRP levels, and decreased abdominal pain. The use of prophylactic antibiotics in colorectal ESD may be an effective tool for reducing the risk of PEECS. (Clinical trial registration number: KCT0001102.).

Predictive risk factors for Listeria monocytogenes meningitis compared to pneumococcal meningitis: a multicenter case-control study.

PURPOSE: Various immunocompromised conditions increase the risk of meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes. However, the relative importance of these risk factors has not been well established. We determined the risk factors that predict meningitis due to L. monocytogenes compared to that caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. METHODS: A nationwide multicenter case-control study was conducted in Korea. Cases of meningitis caused by L. monocytogenes between 1998 and 2013 were included. Patients with pneumococcal meningitis were included as controls. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to predict the risk factors of Listeria meningitis. RESULTS: A total of 36 cases and 113 controls were enrolled. The most significant predictive risk factor of Listeria meningitis was a prior history of receiving immunosuppressive therapy (odds ratio 8.12, 95 % CI 2.47-26.69). Chronic liver disease was the second most important predictive risk factor (OR 5.03, 95 % CI 1.56-16.22). Delaying appropriate antibiotic therapy by more than 6 h (hazard ratio 2.78) and fatal underlying disease (hazard ratio 2.88) were associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a prior history of receiving immunosuppressive therapy within 1 month and chronic liver disease have 8.1-fold and 5-fold increased risk of meningitis by L. monocytogenes compared to S. pneumoniae, respectively.

Clinical Presentation and Outcomes of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the Republic of Korea.

BACKGROUND: From May to July 2015, the Republic of Korea experienced the largest outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outside the Arabian Peninsula. A total of 186 patients, including 36 deaths, had been diagnosed with MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection as of September 30th, 2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We obtained information of patients who were confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection. MERS-CoV infection was diagnosed using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 16 to 86). A total of 55.4% of the patients had one or more coexisting medical conditions. The most common symptom was fever (95.2%). At admission, leukopenia (42.6%), thrombocytopenia (46.6%), and elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (42.7%) were observed. Pneumonia was detected in 68.3% of patients at admission and developed in 80.8% during the disease course. Antiviral agents were used for 74.7% of patients. Mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and convalescent serum were employed for 24.5%, 7.1%, and 3.8% of patients, respectively. Older age, presence of coexisting medical conditions including diabetes or chronic lung disease, presence of dyspnea, hypotension, and leukocytosis at admission, and the use of mechanical ventilation were revealed to be independent predictors of death. CONCLUSION: The clinical features of MERS-CoV infection in the Republic of Korea were similar to those of previous outbreaks in the Middle East. However, the overall mortality rate (20.4%) was lower than that in previous reports. Enhanced surveillance and active management of patients during the outbreak may have resulted in improved outcomes.

The cefazolin inoculum effect in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus blood isolates: their association with dysfunctional accessory gene regulator (agr).

We evaluated the clinical significance of the cefazolin inoculum effect (CIE) in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates. In total, 146 isolates were recovered from patients with MSSA bacteremia at 9 hospitals in Korea. The CIE was observed in 16 MSSA isolates, and while type A was the only detected ß-lactamase in MSSA isolates exhibiting the CIE, no strains expressing type B, C, or D ß-lactamases exhibited this effect. The CIE was only observed in agr group III and I isolates and was significantly more common in isolates with agr dysfunction than in those with functional agr (P<0.001). Even among isolates producing type A ß-lactamase, the CIE was also prevalent in isolates with dysfunctional agr than in isolates with functional agr (P=0.025). This study demonstrates an association between the CIE of MSSA isolates and agr dysfunction, in addition to those between the CIE and type A ß-lactamase.

Anti-anaerobic coverage is not necessary for Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Although most Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscesses have been reported to be monomicrobial, clinical outcomes have not been compared between antimicrobial therapy with and without anti-anaerobic coverage. A propensity score-matched cohort study was conducted using the 731 cases of K. pneumoniae liver abscess. Clinical outcomes were compared between a group discontinuing anti-anaerobic agents after K. pneumoniae identification and a group continuing. A total of 170 cases were matched at a 1:1 ratio using their propensity to discontinue anti-anaerobic agents. The McNemar's test showed no difference in mortality rates (1.8% for discontinuation versus 2.3% for continuation; P = 1.00) or relapse (1.8% versus 2.9%; P = 0.73) between groups. Early discontinuation of anti-anaerobic agents had no association with treatment failure by means of the generalized estimating equation model (odds ratio 0.48; P = 0.14) and the Kaplan-Meier method (P = 0.85) in matched groups. Early discontinuation of anti-anaerobic agents does not affect the clinical outcomes of patients with K. pneumoniae liver abscess.

Mortality of community-acquired pneumonia in Korea: assessed with the pneumonia severity index and the CURB-65 score.

The pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65 are widely used tools for the prediction of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study was conducted to evaluate validation of severity scoring system including the PSI and CURB-65 scores of Korean CAP patients. In the prospective CAP cohort (participated in by 14 hospitals in Korea from January 2009 to September 2011), 883 patients aged over 18 yr were studied. The 30-day mortalities of all patients were calculated with their PSI index classes and CURB scores. The overall mortality rate was 4.5% (40/883). The mortality rates per CURB-65 score were as follows: score 0, 2.3% (6/260); score 1, 4.0% (12/300); score 2, 6.0% (13/216); score 3, 5.7% (5/88); score 4, 23.5% (4/17); and score 5, 0% (0/2). Mortality rate with PSI risk class were as follows: I, 2.3% (4/174); II, 2.7% (5/182); III, 2.3% (5/213); IV, 4.5% (11/245); and V, 21.7% (15/69). The subgroup mortality rate of Korean CAP patients varies based on the severity scores and CURB-65 is more valid for the lower scores, and PSI, for the higher scores. Thus, these variations must be considered when using PSI and CURB-65 for CAP in Korean patients.

Little impact of tsunami-stricken nuclear accident on awareness of radiation dose of cardiac computed tomography: a questionnaire study.

BACKGROUND: With the increased use of cardiac computed tomography (CT), radiation dose remains a major issue, although physicians are trying to reduce the substantial risks associated with use of this diagnostic tool. This study was performed to investigate recognition of the level of radiation exposure from cardiac CT and the differences in the level of awareness of radiation before and after the Fukushima nuclear plant accident. METHODS: We asked 30 physicians who were undergoing training in internal medicine to determine the equivalent doses of radiation for common radiological examinations when a normal chest X-ray is accepted as one unit; questions about the absolute radiation dose of cardiac CT data were also asked. RESULTS: According to the results, 86.6% of respondents believed the exposure to be 1 mSv at most, and 93.3% thought that the exposure was less than that of 100 chest X-rays. This finding indicates that their perceptions were far lower than the actual amounts. Even after the occurrence of such a large nuclear disaster in Fukushima, there were no significant differences in the same subjects' overall awareness of radiation amounts. CONCLUSIONS: Even after such a major social issue as the Fukushima nuclear accident, the level of awareness of the accurate radiation amount used in 64-channel multidetector CT (MDCT) by clinical physicians who order this test was not satisfactory. Thus, there is a need for the development of effective continuing education programs to improve awareness of radiation from ionizing radiation devices, including cardiac CT, and emphasis on risk-benefit evaluation based on accurate knowledge during medical training.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in gastric cancer patients without acquired immune deficiency syndrome: 3 cases report and literature review.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) has rarely been reported in solid tumor patients. It is a well-known complication in immunosuppressed states including acquired immune deficiency syndrome and hematologic malignancy. PCP has been reported in solid tumor patients who received long-term steroid treatment due to brain or spinal cord metastases. We found 3 gastric cancer patients with PCP, who received only dexamethasone as an antiemetic during chemotherapy. The duration and cumulative dose of dexamethasone used in each patient was 384 mg/48 days, 588 mg/69 days, and 360 mg/42 days, respectively. These cases highlight that the PCP in gastric cancer patients can successfully be managed through clinical suspicion and prompt treatment. The cumulative dose and duration of dexamethasone used in these cases can be basic data for risk of PCP development in gastric cancer patients during chemotherapy.

Is adjunctive corticosteroid beneficial in pneumococcal meningitis in a region with high rates of resistance to penicillin and ceftriaxone?

The role of adjunctive corticosteroids remains controversial in meningitis by penicillin-resistant pneumococci. We determined the effect of adjunctive corticosteroids in adults with pneumococcal meningitis in a region with a high rate of penicillin resistance. A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted between 1998 and 2008 in Korea. The mortality and neurological sequelae were evaluated. Among 93 patients with pneumococcal meningitis, adequate adjunctive corticosteroids were given in 45.2%. The penicillin resistance rate was 60.0%, and 42.1% were nonsusceptible to ceftriaxone. The 30-day mortality rates in the group receiving adequate corticosteroid therapy, the group in which corticosteroid was not given, and that inadequately given were 24.3, 31.6, and 27.3%, respectively, and there was no difference between the groups. The rates of development of neurological sequelae were 34.3, 33.3, and 43.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that adequate corticosteroids did not reduce mortality (HR 0.773, 95% CI 0.293-2.040) and neurologic sequelae (HR 0.604, CI 0.262-1.393). Propensity-adjusted analysis showed that adjunctive corticosteroid was not associated with time to death (HR 0.949, CI 0.374-2.408), however, a decreasing tendency was shown in neurologic sequelae in the adequate corticosteroid group (HR 0.479, CI 0.207-1.110). In conclusion, adjunctive corticosteroids did not affect mortality in adults with pneumococcal meningitis in a region with high rates of resistance to penicillin and ceftriaxone; however, the patients receiving adequate corticosteroid therapy tended to develop neurologic sequelae less frequently.

Liver cirrhosis as a risk factor for mortality in a national cohort of patients with bacteremia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical features and outcomes of bacteremia in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and determine whether underlying LC is an independent risk factor for mortality in a population of patients with different underlying diseases. METHODS: From the database of nationwide surveillance studies for bacteremia, data regarding bacteremia in patients with LC were analyzed and compared with those in patients with other diseases. RESULTS: A total of 195 patients with LC were compared with 1659 patients with other underlying diseases. As for the site of infection, intraabdominal infection was more frequent in the LC group (P < 0.001), while pneumonia, urinary tract bacteremia, and primary bacteremia were more prevalent in the other diseases group (all P < 0.05). Patients with LC were more likely to have Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia (20.1% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.018), but less likely to have coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteremia (5.1% vs. 10.4%, P = 0.028). The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the LC group compared to the other disease group (27.2% [53/195] vs. 20.3% [336/1659], P = 0.025). Multivariate analysis revealed underlying LC as a significant predictor for mortality (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.43-3.13; P < 0.001), along with old age, nosocomial acquisition, pneumonia, severe sepsis, and a higher Pitt bacteremia score. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of patients with LC was significantly higher than that of patients with other diseases when they developed bacteremia. Underlying LC was found to be one of the independent risk factors for mortality in patients with bacteremia.