Sunmi Yoo

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Since multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms have been increasing, polymyxin E (colistin) has been reintroduced despite its nephrotoxicity. A case-control study was performed to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity. From August 2006 to June 2008, 47 cases receiving at least one defined daily dose (DDD) of intravenous colistin were included; 15 (31.9%) of the 47 cases developed nephrotoxicity with preserved urine output, 3 (20%) of whom underwent renal replacement therapy. The mean dosage of colistimethate sodium was 2.25 g (22.5 DDD; range 0.6-8.7 g) at the time of nephrotoxicity. Of 10 patients who were re-assessed for renal function after 1 month, 9 (90%) recovered their renal function. In the univariate analysis, site of infection, hypoalbuminaemia and cumulative dosage of the second-generation fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) co-administered during colistin treatment as well as concomitant use of NSAIDs were risk factors for nephrotoxicity. However, in the logistic regression hypoalbuminaemia and the use of NSAIDs were significant risk factors for increased nephrotoxicity during colistin administration, suggesting that free colistin might cause renal toxicity. In conclusion, colistin-induced nephrotoxicity occurred at a high rate, and hypoalbuminaemia and concomitant use of NSAIDs were significant risk factors.

Effectiveness of surveillance of central catheter-related bloodstream infection in an ICU in Korea.

OBJECTIVEnTo determine whether surveillance and infection control interventions decrease the incidence of catheter-related (CR) bloodstream infections (BSIs) in Korea.nnnSETTINGnA medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital in Korea.nnnDESIGNnThe CR infection rate of the intervention period was compared to that of historical controls for a 4-month period.nnnPATIENTSnAll patients with a central venous catheter in the intensive care unit (ICU) from October 1998 to January 1999.nnnMETHODSnActive infection control programs were initiated during the intervention period. Data collected included patient characteristics, risk factors of CR infection, and the microbiology laboratory results. Laboratory-proven CR infection rates were compared between the intervention group and control group.nnnRESULTSn304 catheters were inserted into 248 patients. The intervention group and the control group showed similar characteristics, but more patients in the intervention group received steroid therapy, and subclavian insertion was more common in the intervention group. CR BSI occurred in 1.3 per 1,000 catheter-days in the intervention group and 4.2 in the control group (binomial test, P=.14). CR infections were associated with the duration of ICU admission by multivariate logistic regression.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe data suggested that an active infection surveillance and control program could reduce the rate of CR

Risk factors and clinical features of infections caused by plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae

A case-control study was performed with the objective of analysing risk factors and clinical features of infections caused by plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamase (plasmid AmpC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. All patients infected with plasmid AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae in two tertiary care hospitals from December 2006 to August 2007 were included. Plasmid AmpC enzymes were characterised by isoelectric focusing, enzyme inhibition assay and enzyme-specific polymerase chain reaction. A total of 30 patients (20 with Klebsiella pneumoniae and 10 with Escherichia coli) were recruited prospectively. CMY-2 and DHA-1 were the most common plasmid AmpC in E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. An independent risk factor for infection with plasmid AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae was the use of an oxyimino-cephalosporin within 1 month of plasmid AmpC infection [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 10.8, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.6-75.4; P=0.016], with the use of a urinary catheter showing borderline significance (aOR, 6, 95% CI 0.93-38.4; P=0.06). An independent risk factor for treatment failure at 72 h was infection due to plasmid AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae (aOR, 9.78, 95% CI 1.34-71.17; P=0.02). These results suggest that infections caused by plasmid AmpC-producing isolates significantly increase treatment failure at 72 h and that prior use of an oxyimino-cephalosporin is a risk factor for infections caused by plasmid AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Uncomplicated Acute Pyelonephritis: Epidemiology and Clinical Impact

The objectives of this study were to investigate antibiotic resistance in urinary pathogens from Korean patients with uncomplicated acute pyelonephritis (UAPN), and to determine the effect of fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance on clinical outcome in those patients with UAPN initially treated with FQ. Clinical and microbiologic data for all the APN patients attending 14 hospitals in South Korea in 2008 were collected retrospectively. Urinary pathogens were identified in 719 cases, and Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen (661/719, 91.9%). Antibiotic susceptibilities to several E. coli antibiotics were as follows: ciprofloxacin, 84.1%; trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazola (TMP-SMX), 67.2%; and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-negative, 92.4%. FQ was the most frequent antibiotic prescribed for UAPN (45.3% intravenously and 53.9% by mouth). We compared clinical outcomes and hospital days in patients with FQ-resistant (32) and FQ-sensitive E. coli (173) who received FQ as initial empirical therapy. Clinical cure was higher in the FQ-sensitive group (78% vs. 91%, p=0.027), and hospital days were longer in the FQ-resistant group (9.6±5.5 days vs. 7±3.5 days, p=0.001). In conclusion, FQ-sensitivity of E. coli from UAPN was 84.1%. FQ treatment of UAPN caused by FQ-resistant E. coli has a lower cure rate and involves longer hospital stay than FQ treatment of cases caused by FQ-sensitive E. coli.

Epidemiology of Salmonella enterica serotype typhi infections in Korea for recent 9 years: trends of antimicrobial resistance.

The aim of this study is to characterize the epidemiological features of typhoid fever, categorized as class 1 notifiable disease in Korea and to analyze the recent change of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi isolated nationwide. We retrospectively analyzed the 1,692 culture-proven cases from 1992 to 2000, using the data of the Korean National Institute of Health. The overall incidence of culture-proven typhoid fever was 0.41 per 100,000 population. It occurred all over the country, but the southeastern part of Korean peninsula had the higher incidence rate than other areas. There were several outbreaks suspected, of which two outbreaks were confirmed. The resistance rate against chloramphenicol showed mild increase, but the ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, kanamycin, or nalidixic acid resistance remained at the similar levels for the past 9 yr. There were 21 (1.3%) multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains isolated since 1992, and the number of those has increased. Two strains resistant to ciprofloxacin were first identified in Korea.

Influenza Vaccination Coverage Rate according to the Pulmonary Function of Korean Adults Aged 40 Years and Over: Analysis of the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Influenza vaccination is an effective strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality, particularly for those who have decreased lung functions. This study was to identify the factors that affect vaccination coverage according to the results of pulmonary function tests depending on the age. In this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from 3,224 adults over the age of 40 who participated in the fifth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and underwent pulmonary function testing in 2012. To identify the factors that affect vaccination rate, logistic regression analysis was conducted after dividing the subjects into two groups based on the age of 65. Influenza vaccination coverage of the entire subjects was 45.2%, and 76.8% for those aged 65 and over. The group with abnormal pulmonary function had a higher vaccination rate than the normal group, but any pulmonary dysfunction or history of COPD did not affect the vaccination coverage in the multivariate analysis. The subjects who were 40-64 years-old had higher vaccination coverage when they were less educated or with restricted activity level, received health screenings, and had chronic diseases. Those aged 65 and over had significantly higher vaccination coverage only when they received regular health screenings. Any pulmonary dysfunction or having COPD showed no significant correlation with the vaccination coverage in the Korean adult population.

Low dietary energy intake is associated with sarcopenia in cancer survivors: An analysis based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008–2011

As cancer survivors increase, management of their long-term health consequences becomes important. Sarcopenia could negatively affect on their clinical outcome and quality of life. We hypothesized that sarcopenia would be more prevalent in cancer survivors and that are associated with dietary intake. This study was conducted to compare nutritional intake and body composition, considering sarcopenia, between cancer survivors and healthy individuals using Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted from 2008 to 2011. The participants were 259 adult cancer survivors and 1,295 healthy counterparts who underwent body composition tests and had no chronic diseases. Sarcopenia was defined as a condition with a skeletal muscle mass below the cut-off value (men < 6.58 kg/m2 and women < 4.59 kg/m2) adjusted for height. The prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in non-obese male cancer survivors (32.6% vs 16.0%, P=0.034) compared with healthy individuals. On the contrary, sarcopenia was more common in obese female survivors (35.1% vs 15.0%, P=0.005) than their healthy counterparts. Multivariable logistic analyses revealed that age increase by 1 year (aOR=1.025; 95% CI: 1.001-1.049), male gender (aOR=3.688; 95% CI: 6.061-90.910), and a lower BMI (aOR=33.201; 95% CI: 13.639-80.823) were significantly associated with the increased risk of sarcopenia. Increased energy intake by 100 kcal/day (aOR=0.930; 95% CI: 0.869-0.995) had a protective effect against sarcopenia. Our results suggest that male cancer survivors are high risk group of sarcopenia, especially when they are non-obese. More dietary energy intake may be needed to prevent sarcopenia.

Relationship between Age at Menarche and Metabolic Syndrome in Premenopausal Women: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2014

Background Early menarche may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between age at menarche and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean premenopausal women. Methods We used nationally representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2014, and 3,023 premenopausal women aged 20–55 years were our subjects. We defined early menarche as age at first menstrual period less than 12 years. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between age at menarche and MetS after adjusting for current age, and socioeconomic, lifestyle, and reproductive variables. Results MetS was much more common in women aged 40–55 years than in women aged 20–39 years (4.1% vs. 15.1%). Compared with women who experienced menarche at age 12–15 years, the risk of MetS in the early menarche group was not higher in either age group, after adjusting for current age, and socioeconomic, lifestyle, and reproductive variables (odds ratio [OR], 1.767; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.718–4.351 in those aged 20–39 years; OR, 1.780; 95% CI, 0.775–4.085 in those aged 40–55 years). The risk of MetS in women with menarche at age ≥16 years was not higher than in women with menarche at age 12–15 years. Conclusion Early or late menarche was not associated with an increased risk of MetS in premenopausal Korean women. Even before menopause, current age has a major influence on the development of MetS.

Relationship between Dry Eye Syndrome and Frequency of Coffee Consumption in Korean Adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V, 2010–2012

Background Dry eye syndrome is a common health problem in the adult population. Many risk factors including age, sex, prior eye surgery, various chronic diseases, and lifestyle factors can affect its development. We have evaluated the risk of dry eye syndrome based on the frequency of coffee consumption among Korean adult population. Methods A total of 9,752 adults with age 19 years and older were randomly selected between 2010 and 2012. They have all participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V of Korea. Dry eye syndrome was being diagnosed by the physicians at some points in the participant’s lifetime. The average daily coffee intake was divided into the following: less than 1 cup, 1 to 2 cups, and 3 cups or more. Various physio-environmental factors and medical conditions were used as correction variables to assess the risk of dry eye syndrome in relation to the frequency of coffee consumption. Results The prevalence of dry eye syndrome decreased to 9.2%, 8.8%, and 6.3% as coffee consumption increased from less than 1 cup to 1–2 cups and more than 3 cups, respectively. However, there was no significant relationship between the frequency of coffee consumption and the risk of dry eye syndrome after adjusting various risk factors. Conclusion There is no relationship between the frequency of coffee consumption and risk of dry eye syndrome.