Journal of Korean medical science
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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.
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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
Applicative Factors of Helmet Molding Therapy in Late-diagnosed Positional Plagiocephaly.
Although the benefits of helmet therapy for positional plagiocephaly are strongly correlated with age, the effective period remains controversial. However, most physicians agree that effective results can be obtained in patients within the age of 6 months. Owing to the characteristics of positional plagiocephaly in Koreans, many Korean patients have delayed diagnosis, and because this results in delayed onset of the helmet therapy, the outcomes remain largely underevaluated. In the management of late-diagnosed positional plagiocephaly, we aimed to determine the factors affecting the effective application of helmet therapy. ⋯ The efficacy of helmet therapy in late-diagnosed patients can be predicted on the basis of not only age at treatment initiation, but also initial absolute diagonal distance differences and initial CVAI. We anticipate that even patients with late-diagnosed positional plagiocephaly can expect better helmet therapy outcomes.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2020
Comparative StudyCharacterization of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Stability in Multiple Water Matrices.
The advent of the global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) necessitates a thorough study of the stability and transmissibility in the environment. We characterized the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in three water matrices: fresh, tap, and seawater. The minimum infective dose of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells was confirmed to be 10³ PFU/mL. ⋯ When the starting concentration was increased to 10⁵ PFU/mL, a similar trend was observed. In addition, viral RNA persisted longer than infectious virus in all water matrices. This study was conducted in stagnant water containing a significantly high titer of virus, thus, human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the actual aquatic environment is expected to be rare.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2020
Trends of Incidence and Survival Rates of Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma in the Korean Population: Analysis of the Korea Central Cancer Registry Database.
Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT-lymphoma) is an extranodal lymphoma that occurs at various sites in the body. There is a limited understanding of the incidence and survival rates of MALT-lymphoma. To investigate the nation-wide incidence and survival rates of MALT-lymphoma in Korea during 1999-2017, the data on MALT-lymphoma were retrieved from the Korea Central Cancer Registry. ⋯ Although the incidence of MALT-lymphoma is low in Korea, it has been increasing in recent years. The prognosis of MALT-lymphoma is good even at advanced stages. These findings provide useful insights to clinicians about MALT-lymphoma and inform patients about the survival rate.