Nakhyeon Kim

Phages and their derivatives are increasingly being reconsidered for use in the treatment of bacterial infections due to the rising rates of antibiotic resistance. We assessed the antistaphylococcal effect of the endolysin SAL200 in combination with standard-of-care (SOC) antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: Blood culture contamination leads to inappropriate or unnecessary antibiotic use. However, practical guidelines are inconsistent about the routine use of sterile gloving in collection of blood for culture. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the routine use of sterile gloving before venipuncture reduces blood culture contamination rates. DESIGN: Cluster randomized, assessor-blinded, crossover trial (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00973063). SETTING: Single-center trial involv

Vancomycin is frequently inappropriately prescribed, especially as empirical treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate (i) the amount of inappropriate continued empirical vancomycin use as a proportion of total vancomycin use and (ii) the risk factors associated with inappropriate continued empirical vancomycin use. We reviewed the medical records of adult patients who had been prescribed at least one dose of parenterally administered vancomycin between January and June 2012, in a single

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) presents heterogeneously, owing to the differences in underlying host conditions and immune responses. Although Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is important in recognizing S. aureus, its function during S. aureus infection remains controversial. We aimed to examine the association of TLR2 expression and associated cytokine responses with clinical SAB outcomes. METHODS: Patients from a prospective SAB cohort at two tertiary-care medical centers were

Although tigecycline is considered one of the few therapeutic options for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) bacteraemia, its role in the treatment of CRAB bacteraemia remains unclear. We describe the clinical outcomes of 9 patients who received tigecycline for CRAB bacteraemia. Although all CRAB blood isolates were susceptible to tigecycline, 5 (56%) deaths were related to CRAB bacteraemia and 1 case of breakthrough CRAB bacteraemia was observed during tigecycline therapy. Clin

The small-colony variant (SCV) phenotype of Staphylococcus aureus is associated with intracellular persistence and reduced antimicrobial susceptibility, which can lead to therapeutic failure. Since SCVs grow slowly and have a confusing morphology, the identification of infections due to SCV is difficult. We have identified SCVs in two patients who presented with persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia complicated by surgical site infections after cardiothoracic s

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing worldwide, and previous studies have shown that inadequate sleep duration and skipping breakfast may be related to metabolic syndrome. Therefore, we investigated the effects of inadequate sleep and skipping breakfast on metabolic syndrome using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV & V reports (2007-2009 and 2010-2012, respectively). METHODS: The sample included 12,999 subjects who particip

Information about the genotype of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is useful to monitor outbreaks of vaccine strains. However, in South Korea, where varicella vaccine was introduced in 1988, there are limited data about the genotype of VZV. VZV was isolated from vesicular lesions of patients with herpes zoster or varicella in South Korea between January 2007 and June 2009. DNAs were purified from single-passage isolates. The genotype was determined by sequence analysis of open reading frame (ORF) 22

Background: Local epidemiologic data on prevalent pathogens are important to guide empirical antibiotic therapy. In this study, we observed annual changes in frequency of occurrence and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of blood isolates over a period of 13 years. Materials and Methods: We reviewed blood isolates identified during the period from 1998 to 2010 at Seoul National University Hospital. Only first isolates for each patient were included in the analysis. We analyzed the frequency o

CJ-50300 can be used safely and effectively in healthy adults previously vaccinated against smallpox.

INTRODUCTION: Low bone mass is prevalent in HIV-positive patients. However, compared to Western countries, less is known about HIV-associated osteopenia in Asian populations. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey in Seoul National University Hospital from December 2011 to May 2012. We measured bone mineral density using central dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, with consent, in male HIV-positive patients, aged 40 years and older. Diagnosis of low bone mass was made using International S