Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2020
Meta AnalysisA Meta-Analysis on the Performance of Cystatin C- versus Creatinine-based eGFR Equations in Predicting Vancomycin Clearance.
The objective of this study was to compare the performance of cystatin C- and creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations in predicting the clearance of vancomycin. ⋯ Cystatin C-based eGFR equations are better than creatinine-based eGFR equations in predicting the clearance of vancomycin. This suggests that utilising cystatin C-based eGFR equations could result in better accuracy and precision to predict vancomycin pharmacokinetic parameters.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2020
Real Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection Might Be Rare: Importance of Careful Interviews and Follow-up.
There is limited information on the clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. ⋯ The prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was 5%, which is much lower than that previously reported. This finding suggests that careful interviews and follow-ups should be performed to identify SARS-CoV-2 infections. Cough, fever, myalgia, rhinorrhea or nasal congestion, and diarrhea are adequate screening criteria for covering all symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further evaluation is required to create representative screening criteria for COVID-19.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2020
Positivity of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Patients Following Exposure within Long-term Care Facilities in Seoul, Korea.
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are emerging as a worldwide threat. Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are considered a reservoir for CPE and play a central role in transmission to acute care hospitals. We investigated the CPE positivity in patients exposed to CPE in LTCFs. Furthermore, we analyzed the CPE positivity rates in the environment exposed to CPE. ⋯ CPE colonization rates in patients exposed to CPE in LTCFs were higher than those found in acute care hospitals. Proper infection control measures for detecting and reducing CPE colonization in patients residing in LTCFs are required. Newly admitted patients could also be carriers; therefore, infection control for newly admitted patients also needs to be thorough.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2020
Case ReportsUsefulness of Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction with Clinical Specimens for Diagnosis of Leptospirosis: a Case Series and a Review of Literature.
A culture of the Leptospira species and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) are considered as the reference standard for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, but both tests are imperfect for early diagnosis. We describe 4 patients diagnosed with leptospirosis using nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) that targeted the 16S rRNA gene and the passive hemagglutination assay (PHA). In our 4 cases, Leptospira DNA in the urine, plasma, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), was detected by N-PCR in the early phase of leptospirosis, except in the sample from the buffy coat. ⋯ We report 4 cases of leptospirosis that were diagnosed by N-PCR that targeted the 16S rRNA gene with urine, plasma, or CSF, but not the buffy coat. Three were cured by doxycycline but the case 4 was fatal. Detection of Leptospira DNA by PCR from the urine and CSF, in addition to plasma, may be helpful to confirm the diagnosis.