Original article PDF Hyekyung Kang1, Seong Chun Kim2, Sunjoo Kim3 1Department of Pharmacy, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Departments of 2Emergency Medicine, and 3Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea Corresponding to Sunjoo Kim, E-mail: sjkim8239@hanmail.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2012;15(1):37-42. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2012.15.1.37Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Reducing skin contamination rate and improving the positive rate in blood culture is essential for the correct diagnosis and management of sepsis. Chlorhexidine-alcohol was compared with povidone-iodine for the efficiency of disinfection. Positive rates were compared between the collection of 10 mL and 20 mL of blood per sample. Methods: The study population included adult patients ≥ 18 years old requested for blood culture in the Emergency Department. Povidone-iodine (10%) was used for antiseptic skin preparation from March to June 2011, and 0.5% chlorhexidine-alcohol from July to October 2011. The standard for blood collection was

Original article PDF Eun-ha Koh1, Sunjoo Kim1, Dong-hyun Lee1, Seong Chun Kim2 Departments of 1Laboratory Medicine, and 2Emergency Medicine and Gyeongsang Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea Corresponding to Sunjoo Kim, E-mail: sjkim8239@hanmail.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2013;16(2):81-86. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2013.16.2.81Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Blood culture is essential for the diagnosis and management of bloodstream infections. Blood volume is a key parameter determining the success of blood cultures. Studies comparing compliance between physicians and phlebotomists regarding optimal blood culture procedure are very rare in Korea.  Methods: After educating physicians (interns) and phlebotomists about the correct procedure for blood culturing, the blood volumes of forty-three percent of randomly selected aerobic and anaerobic culture sets for adult patients (≥18 years old) were compared between these two groups over a period of three months. Physicians obtained blood from all admitted patients except those in the

Original article Seong Chun Kim1, Sunjoo Kim2,3 1Departments of Emergency Medicine and 2Laboratory Medicine, 3Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Korea Corresponding to Sunjoo Kim, E-mail:  sjkim8239@hanmail.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2021;24(3):75-81. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2021.24.3.2Received on 30 December 2020, Revised on 13 April 2021, Accepted on 6 July 2021, Published on 20 September 2021.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Blood volume is the most important parameter for an optimal blood culture; however, the effect of blood volume on blood culture is not clearly understood from patients with sepsis. Methods: Blood cultures were obtained from 1,049 patients (≥ 15 years old) who visited the emergency department (ED). Two sets of 20 mL each was collected from each patient, 12 mL of which was transferred to 2 and 10 mL FA Plus (aerobic) bottles (bioMérieux, USA) and the remaining into an FN Plus (anaerobic) bottle. Medical records

Original article Seungjun Lee1, Seong Chun Kim2, Sunjoo Kim1,3 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, 2Departments of Emergency Medicine and 3Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Korea Corresponding to Sunjoo Kim, E-mail: sjkim8239@hanmail.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2021;24(1):1-9. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2021.24.1.1Received on 23 March 2020, Revised on 27 April 2020, Accepted on 28 April 2020, Published on 20 March 2021.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Blood culture is essential for diagnosis of sepsis. However, usually the available blood volume is not sufficient to meet the guidelines. Thus, periodic monitoring and feedback are essential to improve the quality of blood cultures. Methods: We analyzed blood cultures requested between November 2018 and June 2019, and provided educational intervention and coaching for phlebotomists at the end of February 2019. Then, we evaluated the impact of education on blood cultures in a secondary‑care hospital.

Original article Aram Kim, Heerah Lee, Kyu-Hwa Hur, Heungsup Sung, Mi-Na Kim Department of Laboratory Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Mi-Na Kim, E-mail: mnkim@amc.seoul.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2020;23(4):191-199. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2020.23.4.4Received on 23 August 2020, Revised on 28 Septenber 2020, Accepted on 13 October 2020, Published on 20 December 2020.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Inconclusive SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) test results, which are positive for one or more target genes but not all, are problematic in clinical laboratories. In this study, we aimed to investigate the cause and clinical relevance of such inconclusive results. Methods: rRT-PCR was performed using the Allplex 2019-nCoV assay kit (Seegene Inc., Korea) targeting the following three genes: E, RdRp, and N. For all inconclusive test results reported from March to June 2020, the frequency per kit, lot number, specimen type, cycle threshold (Ct)

Original article PDF Jeong Hwan Shin1,5, Hye Ran Kim1, Hi Ryune Lee1, Jae Il Chung2, Kweonsik Min2,5, Chi Sook Moon3, Seong Mi Ryu4, and Jeong Nyeo Lee1,5 Departments of Laboratory Medicine1, Urology2, and Internal Medicine3, College of Medicine, Paik Institute for Clinical Research5, Inje University, Infection Control Committee4, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Busan, Korea Corresponding to Jeong Hwan Shin, E-mail: jhsmile@inje.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2005;8(2):142-147.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Resistant organisms are now a growing and frequent problem in community-acquired infections. There is little information on the etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of community-acquired urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) at a tertiary-care hospital. Methods: We evaluated the distribution of etiological organisms with their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of CA-UTI in the patients visiting a tertiary-care hospital during the period of three years from 2001 through 2003. Results: In total, 1,753 bacterial isolates yielded a significant growth as