Recurrence of Classic Scabies in a Patient Who had Unchanged Tie String of the T-Cannula.

A 64-year old woman who underwent lung transplantation and had T-cannula contracted classic scabies from her daughter. The patient was treated with 5% permethrin 10 times and had two consecutive negative follow-up microscopic examinations. However, the patient had recurrent symptoms and diagnosed with recurrent classic scabies 22 days after the last treatment.

Nosocomial Outbreak of COVID-19 in a Hematologic Ward.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks occur in hospitals in many parts of the world. In hospital settings, the possibility of airborne transmission needs to be investigated thoroughly.

Materials And Methods: There was a nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19 in a hematologic ward in a tertiary hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Fit-failure rate associated with simulated reuse and extended use of N95 respirators assessed by a quantitative fit test.

Objective: We quantitatively assessed the fit failure rate of N95 respirators according to the number of donning/doffing and hours worn.

Design: Experimental study.

Setting: A tertiary-care referral center in South Korea.

Importance of Follow-Up Microscopic Examination in Hospitalized Patients with Confirmed Scabies.

We investigated the duration of positive microscopic examination in hospitalized patients with confirmed scabies in an acute care hospital. We included hospitalized patients who were diagnosed with scabies between January 2015 and June 2019. From the study period, a total of 31 patients with confirmed scabies were identified.

Frequency of and risk factors for reversion of QuantiFERON test in healthcare workers in an intermediate-tuberculosis-burden country.

Objectives: High-risk healthcare workers (HCWs) are often screened for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) using QuantiFERON tests (QFTs), with annual serial tests often showing reversion from positive to negative results. We assessed the frequency of and risk factors for reversion of QFTs in HCWs in an intermediate-tuberculosis burden country.

Methods: We enrolled high-risk HCWs at a tertiary-care hospital in South Korea, who were assessed by QFTs at least twice between 2017 and 2019.

Isosamidin from Roots Prevents Methylglyoxal-Induced Glucotoxicity in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells via Suppression of ROS-Mediated Bax/Bcl-2.

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a highly reactive metabolite of glucose. Elevated levels of MGO induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cause cell death in endothelial cells. Vascular endothelial cell damage by ROS has been implicated in the progression of diabetic vascular complications, cardiovascular diseases, and atherosclerosis.

The Rate of Acquisition of Carbapenemase-Producing among Close Contact Patients Depending on Carbapenemase Enzymes.

Background: Carbapenemase-producing (CPE) are highly drug-resistant pathogens. Screening the contacts of newly-identified CPE patients is crucial for nosocomial transmission control. We evaluated the acquisition rate of CPE in close contacts as a function of CPE genotype.

Seroprevalence of mumps in healthcare workers in South Korea.

Mumps is contagious disease and maintaining immunity to mumps in healthcare worker (HCW) is important for preventing transmission in the hospital. We evaluated the seroprevalence of mumps in HCWs in a tertiary care hospital in Republic of Korea. A total of 6,055 HCWs born between 1950 and 1995 underwent antibody testing.

Adverse event and treatment completion rates of a 12-dose weekly isoniazid and rifapentine course for South Korean healthcare workers.

Purpose: We investigated the adverse events (AEs) and treatment completion rates of a 3 month course of once-weekly isoniazid and rifapentine (3HP) in South Korean health care workers (HCWs) with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

Methods: HCWs who were candidates for LTBI treatment were enrolled from two tertiary referral centers between December 2016 and October 2017. From December 2016 through March 2017, HCWs who agreed were treated with the 3HP regimen (3HP group).

Seroprevalence of Measles in Healthcare Workers in South Korea.

There are only limited data regarding the seroprevalence of measles of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Korea. We evaluated the seroprevalence of measles in HCWs in a tertiary care hospital in Korea. A total of 7,411 HCWs born from 1952 to 1995 underwent antibody test.

Candida auris colonization or infection of the ear: A single-center study in South Korea from 2016 to 2018.

Candida auris was first identified in Japan from specimens obtained from the ear, but most reports since have reported invasive infections or non-ear based cases. We reviewed all the microbiology records from a single center in South Korea from February 2016 to July 2018. One hundred eleven isolates were positive for C.

Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Khellactone Esters from Peucedanum japonicum Roots.

Sixteen new angular dihydropyranocoumarins (1-16) and 24 known compounds were isolated from the roots of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. The absolute configuration of diacylkhellactone was established by partial hydrolysis, the Mosher method, and X-ray crystallography. In addition, ECD spectroscopy was used to assign the absolute configurations of several of the angular dihydropyranocoumarins.

Laboratory-based surveillance of hospital-acquired respiratory virus infection in a tertiary care hospital.

Of 7,772 laboratory-confirmed cases of respiratory viral infection among hospitalized patients, 22.8% were categorized as having hospital-acquired infection. The overall incidence of hospital-acquired respiratory viral infection was 3.

Regulation of WNT Signaling by VSX2 During Optic Vesicle Patterning in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Few gene targets of Visual System Homeobox 2 (VSX2) have been identified despite its broad and critical role in the maintenance of neural retina (NR) fate during early retinogenesis. We performed VSX2 ChIP-seq and ChIP-PCR assays on early stage optic vesicle-like structures (OVs) derived from human iPS cells (hiPSCs), which highlighted WNT pathway genes as direct regulatory targets of VSX2. Examination of early NR patterning in hiPSC-OVs from a patient with a functional null mutation in VSX2 revealed mis-expression and upregulation of WNT pathway components and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) markers in comparison to control hiPSC-OVs.

Clearance Rate of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Carriage Among Hospitalized Patients.

During the past decade, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has emerged and spread across the world. 1 The major carbapenemase enzymes currently being reported are KPC, NDM-1, VIM, IMP, and OXA. 2 Because carbapenemase can be effectively transmitted via mobile genetic elements, and current therapeutic options for CPE infections are extremely limited, CPE may be one of the most serious contemporary threats to public health.

Stereoisomer-specific anticancer activities of ginsenoside Rg3 and Rh2 in HepG2 cells: disparity in cytotoxicity and autophagy-inducing effects due to 20(S)-epimers.

Autophagy has been an emerging field in the treatment of hepatic carcinoma since anticancer therapies were shown to ignite autophagy in vitro and in vivo. Here we report that ginsenoside Rg3 and Rh2, major components of red ginseng, induce apoptotic cell death in a stereoisomer-specific fashion. The 20(S)-forms of Rg3 and Rh2, but not their respective 20(R)-forms, promoted cell death in a dose-dependent manner accompanied by downregulation of Bcl2 and upregulation of Fas, resulting in apoptosis of HepG2 cells with poly ADP ribose polymerase cleavage.

Assessment of the appropriateness of hand surface coverage for health care workers according to World Health Organization hand hygiene guidelines.

We monitored hand surface coverage technique in health care workers in a tertiary care hospital using a 5-item hand hygiene assessment tool based on World Health Organization guidelines. Overall hand hygiene compliance was 86.7% (4,300/4,960).