Prevention of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Guidelines by the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases and the Korean Society for Transplantation.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most important opportunistic viral pathogen in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. The Korean guideline for the prevention of CMV infection in SOT recipients was developed jointly by the Korean Society for Infectious Diseases and the Korean Society of Transplantation. CMV serostatus of both donors and recipients should be screened before transplantation to best assess the risk of CMV infection after SOT.

Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 testing and organ procurement from deceased donors in the Republic of Korea.

We present a summary of the evidence on testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and organ procurement from deceased donors and provide recommendations based on current clinical data and the guidelines from major transplant organizations. Because of the limited historical experience with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), certain recommendations in this document are based on theoretical rationales rather than clinical data. The recommendations in this manuscript may be subject to revision as subsequent clinical studies provide definitive evidence regarding COVID-19 in organ procurement.

Carbapenem Use in the Last Days of Life: A Nationwide Korean Study.

The appropriate use of carbapenem is a critical concern for patient safety and public health, and is a national priority. We investigated the nationwide status of carbapenem prescription in patients within their last 14 days of life to guide judicious-use protocols from the previous study comprised of 1350 decedents. Carbapenem use was universally controlled through computerised authorisation system at all centres during the study period.

Use of Antibiotics Within the Last 14 Days of Life in Korean Patients: A Nationwide Study.

Background: Antimicrobial prescriptions for serious chronic or acute illness nearing its end stages raise concerns about the potential for futile use, adverse events, increased multidrug-resistant organisms, and significant patient and social cost burdens. This study investigated the nationwide situation of how antibiotics are prescribed to patients during the last 14 days of life to guide future actions.

Methods: This nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at 13 hospitals in South Korea from November 1 to December 31, 2018.

Developing Core Elements and Checklist Items for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korean General Hospitals: A Modified Delphi Survey.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) aim to optimize antimicrobial use by minimizing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The core elements for implementing ASPs in healthcare facilities have been developed by the World Health Organization, international research group and government agencies of various countries. However, to date, there is no documented core elements for implementation of ASP in Korea.

Multifaceted Evaluation of Antibiotic Therapy as a Factor Associated with Candidemia in Non-Neutropenic Patients.

We aimed to evaluate various aspects of antibiotic therapy as factors associated with candidemia in non-neutropenic patients. A retrospective, matched, case-control study was conducted in two teaching hospitals. Patients with candidemia (cases) were compared to patients without candidemia (controls), matched by age, intensive care unit admission, duration of hospitalization, and type of surgery.

Korean Guidelines for Use of Antibiotics for Intra-abdominal Infections in Adults.

The guidelines are intended to provide practical information for the correct use of antibiotics for intra-abdominal infections in Korea. With the aim of realizing evidence-based treatment, these guidelines for the use of antibiotics were written to help clinicians find answers to key clinical questions that arise in the course of patient care, using the latest research results based on systematic literature review. The guidelines were prepared in consideration of the data on the causative pathogens of intra-abdominal infections in Korea, the antibiotic susceptibility of the causative pathogens, and the antibiotics available in Korea.

Core Elements for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korean General Hospitals.

Currently, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global public health. The antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) has been proposed as an important approach to overcome this crisis. ASP supports the optimal use of antimicrobials, including appropriate dosing decisions, administration duration, and administration routes.

Appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions during hospitalization and ambulatory care: a multicentre prevalence survey in Korea.

Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent global health threats. The need for the qualitative evaluation of antibiotic use at the national level is increasing. To identify areas for improvement, we aimed to assess the prevalence and appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions during hospitalization and ambulatory care in Korea.

The epidemiology of bloodstream infection contributing to mortality: the difference between community-acquired, healthcare-associated, and hospital-acquired infections.

Background: The epidemiology of bloodstream infection (BSI) is well-established; however, little is known about the contribution of different pathogens to mortality. To understand true burden of BSI, pathogens contributing to mortality were investigated and compared according to where the BSI was acquired.

Methods: Data from deceased patients in two teaching hospitals in the Republic of Korea were collected.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Trends and Risk Factors for Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteremia: 12-Year Experience in a Tertiary Hospital in Korea.

Background: Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDRPA) have been on the rise worldwide, and delayed active antimicrobial therapy is associated with high mortality. However, few studies have evaluated increases in infections with antimicrobial resistance and risk factors for such antimicrobial resistance in Korea. Here, we analyzed changes in antimicrobial susceptibility associated with bacteremia and identified risk factors of antimicrobial resistance.

Guidelines on Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korea.

These guidelines were developed as a part of the 2021 Academic R&D Service Project of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in response to requests from healthcare professionals in clinical practice for guidance on developing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). These guidelines were developed by means of a systematic literature review and a summary of recent literature, in which evidence-based intervention methods were used to address key questions about the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents and ASP expansion. These guidelines also provide evidence of the effectiveness of ASPs and describe intervention methods applicable in Korea.

What is the optimal antibiotic treatment strategy for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB)? A multicentre study in Korea.

Objectives: The optimal treatment option for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is still limited. This study investigated the efficacy of three or more antibiotic types and regimens for treatment of CRAB infection in high CRAB endemic areas.

Methods: A multicentre retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of treatment types and regimens of CRAB infections in 10 tertiary hospitals in the Republic of Korea.

Procalcitonin as a predictor of early antibiotic treatment failure in patients with gram-negative bloodstream infections caused by urinary tract infections.

We retrospectively evaluated whether initial procalcitonin (PCT) levels can predict early antibiotic treatment failure (ATF) in patients with gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN-BSI) caused by urinary tract infections from January 2018 to November 2019. Early ATF was defined as the following: (1) hemodynamically unstable or febrile at Day 3; (2) the need for mechanical ventilation or continuous renal replacement therapy at Day 3; (3) patients who died within 3 days (date of blood culture: Day 0). The study included 189 patients; 42 showed early ATF.

Human resources required for antimicrobial stewardship activities for hospitalized patients in Korea.

Objectives: We calculated the human resources required for an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in Korean hospitals.

Design: Multicenter retrospective study.

Setting: Eight Korean hospitals ranging in size from 295 to 1,337 beds.

Management and outcomes of Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteremia in patients without cystic fibrosis: a retrospective observational study.

Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is an emerging pathogen of nosocomial infection in chronic or critically ill patients without cystic fibrosis (CF). The objective was to evaluate the management and outcomes of BCC bacteremia in patients without CF. We conducted a retrospective study of non-CF adult patients with BCC bacteremia between January 1997 and December 2016 at 4 tertiary hospitals in South Korea.

The clinical and economic burden of community-onset complicated skin and skin structure infections in Korea.

Background/aims: To investigate epidemiologic characteristics, clinical and economic burdens, and factors associated with mortality in complicated skin and skin structure infection (cSSSI) patients in Korea.

Methods: A retrospective, observational, nationwide study was conducted between April to July 2012 at 14 tertiary-hospitals in Korea. Eligible patients were hospitalized adults with community acquired cSSSI, who underwent surgical intervention and completed treatment between November 2009 and October 2011.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Microorganisms Isolated from Patients with Intraabdominal Infection in Korea: a Multicenter Study.

Background: This study evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens isolated from Korean patients with intraabdominal infections (IAIs).

Methods: This multicenter study was conducted at 6 university-affiliated hospitals in Korea between 2016 and 2018. All patients with microbiologically proven IAIs were retrospectively included, while patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis peritonitis were excluded.

Clinical implications of multidrug-resistant microorganisms and fungi isolated from patients with intra-abdominal infections in the Republic of Korea: a multicenter study.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of fungi and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) isolated from patients with intra-abdominal infections (IAIs). This multicenter study included consecutive patients admitted for microbiologically proven IAIs at 6 university-affiliated hospitals in South Korea between 2016 and 2018. A total of 1571 patients were enrolled.

Co-Infection of Scrub Typhus and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis in Korea, 2006.

Background: Scrub typhus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) are important arthropod-borne infectious diseases in Korea and share a common point that they are transmitted by arthropod bites mostly during outdoor activities and there are considerable overlaps of epidemiologic and clinical features at presentation. We investigated the co-infection of these infections.

Methods: The study subjects were patients with laboratory-confirmed scrub typhus who were enrolled retrospectively in 2006.

Antibiotic Treatment of Vertebral Osteomyelitis caused by Methicillin-Susceptible : A Focus on the Use of Oral β-lactams.

Background: Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is a rare but serious condition, and a potentially significant cause of morbidity. Methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) is the most common microorganism in native VO. Long-term administration of parenteral and oral antibiotics with good bioavailability and bone penetration is required for therapy.

Role of Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in the Era of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are common in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. There are few reports on the epidemiology and endoscopic findings of gastric cancer in patients with HIV infection in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). We retrospectively analyzed upper GI endoscopic findings in patients with HIV infection and investigated their role as gastric cancer screening.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: comparison with scrub typhus and clinical diagnostic prediction.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is emerging in Asian 3 countries, China, Japan and Korea, which are scrub typhus endemic areas, and its incidence is increasing. As the two infections overlap epidemiologically and clinically and the accessibility or sensitivity of diagnostic tests is limited, early clinical prediction may be useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Methods: Patients aged ≥16 years who were clinically suspected and laboratory-confirmed to be infected with Orientia tsutsugamushi or the SFTS virus in South Korea were enrolled.