Publications by authors named "Hye-Sun Chun"

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) caused by multidrug-resistant organisms have emerged as a significant global issue, posing substantial challenges to healthcare systems. Low- and intermediate-level disinfectants are extensively utilized for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in hospitals to mitigate environmental transmission of HAI. Therefore, the need for more effective and environmentally safe disinfectants is increasing.

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is a mold in phylum Basidiomycota and is an uncommon human pathogen. Sinusitis and allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis are the two major diseases caused by . Although there have been several reports of invasive fungal diseases, most of them were invasive sinusitis.

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Background: Candida sp. osteoarticular infection is rare and most often due to hematogenous seeding during an episode of candidemia in immunocompromised patients. However, the diagnosis can be delayed in patients with subtle symptoms and signs of joint infection without a concurrent episode of candidemia.

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The identification of Aspergillus species and azole resistance is highly important for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis (IA), which requires improvements in current fungal diagnostic methods. We aimed to develop multiplex real-time PCR to identify major Aspergillus section and azole resistance. BenA and cyp51A genes were used to design primers, probes, and control DNA for multiplex PCR.

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Since mould-active azole prophylaxis has become a standard approach for patients with high-risk haematologic diseases, the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has shifted towards non-Aspergillus moulds. It was aimed to identify the epidemiology and characteristics of non-Aspergillus invasive mould infections (NAIMIs). Proven/probable NAIMIs developed in patients with haematologic diseases were reviewed from January 2011 to August 2018 at Catholic Hematology hospital, Seoul, Korea.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to investigate the characteristics and antifungal susceptibility of invasive aspergillosis cases, particularly in patients with hematologic malignancies, collecting data over a two-year period from 2016 to 2018.
  • - A total of 207 proven/probable cases and a variety of environmental isolates were analyzed, revealing that 33.8% were cryptic species and that there were notable differences in species prevalence between clinical and environmental samples.
  • - Azole resistance was observed in 5.3% of tested isolates, with a concerning 100% mortality rate in patients infected with azole-resistant strains, highlighting the need for increased awareness of species diversity and resistance patterns.
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Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is an emerging problem, especially in immunocompromised patients. It has been reported worldwide, including in Asia, but has not yet been reported in Korea. Here, we report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) caused by azole-resistant A.

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Animal models are essential to studies of infectious diseases. The use of mice to test bacterial infection has been extensively reported. However, methods applied to clinical isolates, particularly for carbapenem-resistant bacteria, must be tailored according to the infection models and bacteria used.

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With the rise in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, there has been increasing interest in combinations of ≥2 antimicrobial agents with synergistic effects. We established an MDR bacterial strain library to screen for in vitro antimicrobial synergy by using a broth microdilution checkerboard method and high-throughput luciferase-based bacterial cell viability assay. In total, 39 MDR bacterial strains, including 23 carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria, 9 vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus, and 7 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, were used to screen for potential antimicrobial synergies.

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Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia causes serious infections in immunocompromised hosts. Here, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of S. maltophilia bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients with hematologic malignancies and evaluated in vitro synergistic effects of antimicrobial combinations.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the genetic diversity between community-associated (CA) and health care-associated (HA) MRSA strains in South Korea, focusing on 138 invasive MRSA isolates.
  • Multiplex type IVA SCCmec was found to be the most common CA MRSA type, occurring significantly more often than HA MRSA.
  • The research concluded that CA MRSA strains are primarily less multi-drug-resistant and that international PVL-positive strains have not yet spread in South Korea.
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We adopted an in vitro infective endocarditis model (IVIEM) to compare the efficacy of vancomycin (VAN), arbekacin (ABK), and gentamicin (GEN) alone or in combination. Using two strains of clinically isolated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, one GEN susceptible (GS171) and one GEN resistant (GR153), fibrin clots were prepared and suspended in the IVIEM. Antibiotics were given as boluses every 6 h (q6h), q12h, or q24h or by continuous infusion with VAN, q12h or q24h with ABK, and q8h or q24h with GEN.

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