Original article PDF Jeongsook Yoon1, Heewon Moon2, and Miae Lee2 Labgenomics Clinical Laboratories1; and Department of Clinical Pathology22, Mokdong Hospital, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Jeongsook Yoon, E-mail: js1345@hitel.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2006;9(1):1-6.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosafrequently causes nosocomial infection. Recently, there have been reports of infection with multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of antimicrobial combination against multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Methods: Twenty isolates of imipenem and/or cefepime resistant P. aeruginosa were collected from the microbiology laboratory of Ewha Womans Unversity Mokdong Hospital. Checkerboard titration method was used to assess the activity of ceftazidime or cefepime in combination with amikacin, gentamicin or aztreonam, and colistin in combination with ceftazidime or rifampin. Results: All isolates were resistant to more than 12 antimicrobial agents including imipenem and/ or cefepime by broth microdilution method; however, no isolates were resistant

Original article PDF Hae Kyung Lee1, Hiun Suk Chae2, Jung Oak Kang3, Mi-Kyung Lee4, Heungsup Sung5, Mi-Na Kim5, Jongwook Lee6, Miae Lee7, Ki-Nam Shim8 Departments of 1Laboratory Medicine, 2Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 5Department of Laboratory Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 6Hanaro Medical Foundation, Departments of 7Laboratory Medicine, 8Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Miae Lee, E-mail: miae@ewha.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2008;11(2):84-89.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of eradication therapy failure. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and type of mutations in the 23S rRNA gene in Korea, which are associated with clarithromycin resistance.  Methods: From January 2008 to March 2008, 353 gastric biopsy specimens were collected from five university

Original article PDF Mi Kyung Kim, Jong Hee Hong, Miae Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Miae Lee, E-mail: miae@ewha.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2010;13(4):157-161. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2010.13.4.157Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommends testing for inducible clindamycin resistance in clindamycin non-resistant and erythromycin resistant (CNR-ER) staphylococci by using a D-zone test. Recently, the VITEK2 system was developed to detect inducible clindamycin resistance in staphylococci. We evaluated the performance of the VITEK2 system by comparing it with a D-zone test.  Methods: In detecting inducible clindamycin resistance, a total of 142 clinical isolates of staphylococci were tested by using the VITEK2 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test (AST)-P601 card (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France) and the D-zone test. Of the 142 isolates of staphylococci tested, 114 were CNR-ER staphylococci [40 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), 74 Staphylococcus aureus] and 28 were

Original article PDF Jin Young Lee, Jong Hee Hong, Miae Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Miae Lee, E-mail: miae@ewha.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2010;13(4):151-156. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2010.13.4.151Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Blood culture bottles with an antimicrobial removal system have been developed for patients treated with antibiotics. This study compared the ability of BACTEC Plus Aerobic/F bottles (Becton Dickinson, USA, BACTEC Plus) and BacT/Alert FA bottles (bioMerieux Vitek, France) to effectively remove antimicrobials.  Methods: BACTEC Plus and BacT/Alert FA bottles were spiked with 5 mL human blood, peak therapeutic concentrations of 9 antimicrobials and 7 type strains. Three rounds of duplicate testing were completed per antimicrobial/strain combination and growth control without antimicrobials. The time to detection (TTD) and recovery rates for bacteria were compared for both systems.  Results: Overall, the BACTEC Plus and BacT/Alert FA recovered 76% (128/168) and

Original article PDF Se Jin Oh, Miae Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Miae Lee, E-mail: miae@ewha.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2012;15(4):125-130. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2012.15.4.125Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is one of the leading types of infection, with a significant morbidity and mortality rate. We evaluated the differential time to positivity (DTP) and semi-quantitative culture of catheter segments (SQCC) as a method for diagnosing CRBSI.  Methods: From January 2010 to August 2011, 155 positive paired blood cultures which had the same organism isolated from blood cultures drawn simultaneously through the central venous catheter (CVC) and the peripheral vein were included. Positive DTP represents a DTP of least 120 min earlier for the time to detection of CVC draw than that of a peripheral vein draw. We evaluated the clinical utility of DTP and SQCC for diagnosing

Original article PDF Jayoung Kim1, Yeon-Joon Park1, Nam Yong Lee2, Chulhun L . Chang3, Miae Lee4, Jong Hee Shin5 Department of Laboratory Medicine, 1College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 2Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 3Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, 4Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Seoul, 5Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea Corresponding to Yeon-Joon Park, E-mail: yjpk@catholic.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2012;15(4):117-124. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2012.15.4.117Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: We evaluated the performance of the AdvanSure MDR-TB GenoBlot Assay kit (AdvanSure MDR-TB, LG Life Science, Korea) to detect mutations related to rifampin (RFP)- and isoniazid (INH)-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in respiratory specimens.  Methods: From February 2010 to June 2010, a total of 542 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were collected from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in six university hospitals across Korea. We analyzed the conventional drug susceptibility testing (DST) and compared the

Original article PDF Jayoung Kim1, Yeon-Joon Park1, Nam Yong Lee2, Chulhu L. Chang3, Miae Lee4, Jong Hee Shin5 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Seoul, 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Seoul, 5Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea Corresponding to Yeon-Joon Park, E-mail: yjpk@catholic.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2013;16(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2013.16.1.1Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: We analyzed the prevalence of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from respiratory specimens of patients with newly diagnosed and previously treated tuberculosis. Methods: From February 2010 to July 2010, a total of 542 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were collected from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in six university hospitals distributed throughout Korea. We analyzed the results

Original article PDF Sholhui Park, Miae Lee, Hae-Sun Chung Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Hae-Sun Chung, E-mail: sunny0521.chung@gmail.com Ann Clin Microbiol 2015;18(1):27-32. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2015.18.1.27Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: For early diagnosis and treatment of influenza, rapid influenza diagnostic tests are commonly used. We evaluated the performance of the BD Veritor System for Rapid Detection of Flu A＋B (BD Veritor System; BD Diagnostics, USA) compared to multiplex real-time RT-PCR. Methods: A total of 3,213 nasal and nasopharyngeal swab specimens in transport media from patients with influenza-like symptoms were tested with the BD Veritor System from December 2013 to April 2014. The sensitivity and specificity of 127 specimens were determined simultaneously using multiplex real-time RT- PCR with the AdvanSure RV real-time PCR (AdvanSure PCR; LG Life Sciences, Korea). Results: Influenza viruses were detected in 41.3% (1,327/3,213) of all specimens tested

Original article PDF Min-Kyung So1, Hae-Sun Chung1, Chung-Jong Kim2, Hee Jung Choi2, Miae Lee1 Departments of 1Laboratory Medicine, 2Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Miae Lee, E-mail: miae@ewha.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2016;19(3):70-76. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2016.19.3.70Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Blood cultures are essential in diagnosing and treating sepsis. There are several factors that affect the diagnostic yield of blood cultures such as the number of blood sampling episodes, the incubation period, the type and volume of culture media, and the amount of blood drawn. This study aimed to elucidate whether monitoring the volume of blood drawn with an educational intervention could affect the diagnostic quality of blood cultures. Methods: We implemented quality monitoring for the blood volume drawn during blood culture testing for adults in an emergency room. We instructed the nurses in the emergency room to draw the optimal amount of