The prevention and response to infectious diseases in long-term care facilities in Korea: a nationwide survey.

Objectives: Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are communal environments for patients with chronic diseases or older adults, making them particularly susceptible to significant harm during infectious disease outbreaks. Nonetheless, LTCFs have historically been subject to less stringent infection prevention and control (IPC) mandates. This study aimed to assess the current state of LTCFs and to develop an IPC system tailored for these facilities following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Trend of immunity against measles and varicella zoster virus in healthcare workers in Korea.

Objective: To examine the seroprevalence of measles and varicella zoster virus (VZV) among healthcare workers (HCW) and evaluate the concordance between self-reported history of previous disease or vaccination and seropositivity.

Design: A seroprevalence study and survey.

Setting: A university-affiliated tertiary care hospital.

The impact of vancomycin-resistant (VRE) screening policy change on the incidence of healthcare-associated VRE bacteremia.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) screening policy change on the incidence of healthcare-associated (HA)-VRE bacteremia in an endemic hospital setting.

Design: A quasi-experimental before-and-after study.

Setting: A 1,989-bed tertiary-care referral center in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Implementing a multidisciplinary care bundle to reduce colon surgical site infections.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate how rates of surgical site infections (SSI) were changed over 2 years after applying colon SSI bundle in patients who underwent colon surgery.

Methods: The multidisciplinary working group developed a care bundle consisting of 8 components, including several recommendations of Surgical Care Improvement Project and monitoring of medical/surgical hand washing. We implemented the care bundle for each patient who underwent colon surgery from April 2013 to December 2014.

A contact investigation after exposure to a child with disseminated tuberculosis mimicking inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important diseases that cause significant mortality and morbidity in young children. Data on TB transmission from an infected child are limited. Herein, we report a case of disseminated TB in a child and conducted a contact investigation among exposed individuals.

Validation of semiautomated surgical site infection surveillance using electronic screening algorithms in 38 surgery categories.

Objective: To verify the validity of a semiautomated surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance system using electronic screening algorithms in 38 categories of surgery.

Design: A cohort study for validation of semiautomated SSI surveillance system using screening algorithms.

Setting: A 1,989-bed tertiary-care referral center in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Impact of Targeted Interventions on Trends in Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection: A Single-Center Experience From the Republic of Korea.

Objective: To assess the impact of targeted interventions on trends in central line-associated bloodstream infection.

Design: A before-and-after study between January 2013 and September 2014.

Setting: Tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea.

MERS-CoV outbreak following a single patient exposure in an emergency room in South Korea: an epidemiological outbreak study.

Background: In 2015, a large outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection occurred following a single patient exposure in an emergency room at the Samsung Medical Center, a tertiary-care hospital in Seoul, South Korea. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology of MERS-CoV outbreak in our hospital.

Methods: We identified all patients and health-care workers who had been in the emergency room with the index case between May 27 and May 29, 2015.

Incidence and risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients with fentanyl-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia and single antiemetic prophylaxis.

Purpose: We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients with fentanyl-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) and single antiemetic prophylaxis of 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5 HT₃)-receptor antagonist after the general anesthesia.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, incidence and risk factors for PONV were evaluated with fentanyl IV-PCA during postoperative 48 hours after various surgeries.

Results: Four hundred-forty patients (23%) of 1878 had showed PONV.

Effect-site concentration of remifentanil to prevent cough after laryngomicrosurgery.

Objectives/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to discover the optimal effect-site concentration of remifentanil for cough prevention that does not delay awakening or cause respiratory depression during emergence from anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil in laryngomicrosurgery patients.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Methods: One hundred five patients were randomly assigned to maintain an effect-site concentration (Ce) of remifentanil at a predetermined value of 1 (R1), 1.

Incidence and risk factors of acute kidney injury after thoracic aortic surgery for acute dissection.

Background: Previous studies have reported a high incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after thoracic aortic surgery in heterogeneous patient cohorts, including various aortic diseases and the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Moderate hypothermia with cerebral perfusion makes deep hypothermia nonessential, but can make end organs susceptible to ischemia during circulatory arrest. We investigated the incidence and risk factors of AKI after thoracic aortic surgery with and without moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest for acute dissection.