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Background Chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC) is a specific syndrome in patients with hematologic malignancies which usually occurs after the recovery of neutrophils due to previous chemotherapy. The beta-D-glucan (BDG) assay has been proposed as an adjunct test for diagnosing invasive fungal infection. However, data on BDG assay in patients with CDC are scare. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic sensitivity of BDG assay in patients with CDC. Methods All adult patients who were diagnosed as CDC in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, from January 2017 to December 2019 and underwent BDG assay (Gold Mountain River Tech Development, Beijing, China) were retrospectively reviewed. CDC was defined by the demonstration of small, target-like abscesses in liver or spleen (bull’s-eye lesions) or in the brain at the time of neutrophil recovery after a prolonged phase of neutropenia. The values for BDG over 80 pg/mL was classified as positive. Results A total of 20 patients were enrolled. The median age was 51 years (Interquartile range 39 – 64). Of these, 13 patients had acute myeloid leukemia, 3 acute lymphoid leukemia, 2 myelodysplastic syndrome, and 1 aplastic anemia. Candida spp. were isolated in 6 patients; 3 were C. tropicalis, 2 C. glabrata, and 1 C. krusei. Of the 20 patients, 10 (50%) revealed positive BDG results. The median BDG value was 174 pg/dL (IQR 137–402). More CDC patients with previous candidemia had positive BDG assay than those without candidemia, but with no statistical significance (4/5 (80%) vs. 6/15 (40%), P = 0.30). In the 7 patients with BDG assay-positive CDC, for whom follow-up BDG results were available, the BDG remained high in 6 patients (86%) for more than 4 weeks after adequate antifungal therapy. All 4 patients who died had a positive BDG assay, and 3 of them showed an increasing trend of BDG values during treatment. Conclusion Negative BDG assay appears to be not useful to rule out CDC. BDG assay decreased slowly during the adequate treatment of CDC. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of real-time (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on blood samples for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in patients with suspected invasive mould infection. Methods Adult patients with suspected invasive mould infection were prospectively enrolled at a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, South Korea between 2017 and 2020. Standard tests for diagnosis of invasive mould infection and RT-PCR for Aspergillus, Mucor and Rhizopus using blood samples were performed. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of RT-PCR tests in patients diagnosed with proven and probable invasive aspergillosis or mucormycosis infection, according to the modified definitions of the EORTC/MSG 2019. Results A total of 102 patients with suspected invasive mould infection were enrolled. Of these patients, 46 (45%) were classified as having proven (n = 13) or probable (n = 33) invasive aspergillosis, 21 (21%) as proven (n = 17) or probable (n = 4) invasive mucormycosis and 18 (18%) as possible invasive mould infection. The remaining 13 (13%) were classified as not having invasive mould infection. Patients with possible invasive mould infection (n = 18) and coinfection of aspergillosis and mucormycosis (n = 4) were excluded from the final analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of the Aspergillus PCR were 54.3% ([25/46], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.2-67.9%) and 94.1% ([32/34], 95% CI: 80.9-98.4%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the Mucor or Rhizopus PCR were 57.1% ([12/21], 95% CI: 36.6-75.5%) and 76.3% ([45/59], 95% CI: 64.0-85.3), respectively. Conclusions Our study suggests that blood PCR can be a useful adjunct test for diagnosing patients with suspected invasive mould infection.

Objective Healthcare personnel vaccinations are important to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases in hospitals. We evaluated the seroprevalence, vaccination rates, and barriers to vaccination among newly employed nurses and doctors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a university hospital in the Republic of Korea from 2017 to 2020. The immune status for hepatitis B virus (HBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and hepatitis A virus (HAV) was tested. HBV, VZV, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations were mandatory. HAV and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccinations were also recommended by specialists. A web-based survey on factors affecting vaccination completion was conducted. Results For the 668 participants, the mean age was 26 ± 2 (±SD) years. Seroprevalence was 86% for HBV, 93% for VZV, and 59% for HAV. Vaccine completion rates were 40% for HBV, 70% for VZV, 65% for MMR, 42% for HAV, and 70% for Tdap. Overall compliance for mandatory vaccines was 54%. A total of 402 subjects who had worked for over one year were surveyed, with a 22% response rate. More than 50% of respondents gave the following reasons for not receiving recommend vaccines: 1) they were busy (77%), 2) vaccination process was complicated (68%), and 3) they simply forgot about vaccination (55%). Healthcare personnel agreed to be frequently informed of immunization requirements and for monitoring of vaccination rates. Conclusion Vaccination compliance among newly employed doctors and nurses was 54%. Active interventions such as simplifying the vaccination process and frequent notifications are needed to achieve optimal immunization rates.

There are limited data on the duration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in respiratory specimens after resolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated symptoms/signs. We determined duration of SARS-CoV-2 virus shedding in symptomatic patients after remission of symptoms. We investigated the duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs or sputum or saliva. Six patients were included in the final analysis. The median (range) duration of SARS-CoV-2 viral detection after hospitalization was 34 days (22 to 67). After resolution of symptoms/signs, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected for median (range) of 26 days (9 to 48). Among the six patients, one had persistent detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA until day 67 of hospitalization, which was 30 days after symptom resolution. This case represents the longest duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection, and highlights the need for long-term follow up of COVID-19 patients despite resolution of symptoms to confirm SARS-CoV-2 clearance.

Background Pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) represents a serious burden in terms of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Studies of prognostic factors in patients with PM are limited and have involved small numbers of patients. Methods Adult patients diagnosed with proven and probable PM according to the modified definitions of the EORTC/MSG 2008 in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, between 2008 and 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. Results A total of 49 patients including 31 (63%) with proven PM and 18 (37%) with probable PM were enrolled. The 90-day mortality rate was 49% (24/49). Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, use of voriconazole at clinical suspicion, positivity of non-sterile culture, use of steroid and treatment without surgery were more common in fatal cases than non-fatal cases. Voriconazole use at clinical suspicion for invasive mould pneumonia (OR 6.91, P = .01) and prolonged neutropenia (OR 4.86, P = .03) were independent risk factors for mortality. Voriconazole use at clinical suspicion was associated with positive galactomannan (GM) assay (OR 5.93, P = .02) and history of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (OR, 6.88, P = .05). Conclusion About half of the patients with PM died within 90 days of diagnosis, and fatal outcomes were common in patients with prolonged neutropenia and empirical voriconazole use. Caution is needed in using voriconazole even in patients with positive GM results and prior histories of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in whom PM cannot be ruled out by differential diagnosis.

Background: Due to the low sensitivity of mould culture, clinicians usually depend on the histomorphologic diagnosis of invasive mould infection for empirical antifungal therapy. However, definite diagnosis is not always possible based on the mould morphology. We thus compared the histomorphologic diagnosis with immunohistochemistry (IHC)- and culture-based diagnosis.Methods: All adult patients who underwent tissue biopsy and in whom the histomorphologic diagnosis revealed invasive mould infection were enrolled at a tertiary hospital, Seoul, South Korea, between 1992 and 2014 (retrospectively) and 2015 and 2019 (prospectively). Their histomorphologic diagnoses were classified as two categories: (1) acute-angled branching, septate hyphae with parallel walls and a uniform width ('morphologic aspergillosis') and (2) right-angled branching pauciseptate, broader and ribbon-like hyphae with nonparallel walls ('morphologic mucormycosis').Results: A total of 113 patients were finally analysed and their histomorphologic diagnoses were classified as follows: 51 (45%) with morphologic aspergillosis, 62 (55%) with morphologic mucormycosis. Of the 51 patients with morphologic aspergillosis, 46 (90%) received the same diagnosis based on culture and/or IHC, and the remaining five (10%) gave positive IHC result for mucormycosis. Of the 62 patients with morphologic mucormycosis, 60 (97%) had the same diagnosis based on culture and/or IHC, and the remaining two (3%) yielded a positive aspergillus culture or a positive IHC result for aspergillosis, respectively.Conclusions: The majority of histomorphologic diagnoses appear to be consistent with definitive diagnoses based on sterile culture and IHC tests. However, about 10% of 'morphologic aspergillosis' diagnoses were mucormycosis cases.

The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency (AI) overlap with the common effects of advanced cancer and chemotherapy. Considering that AI may negatively affect the overall prognosis of cancer patients if not diagnosed in a timely manner, we analyzed the incidence, risk factors, and predictive methods of AI in cancer patients.We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 184 adult patients with malignancy who underwent a rapid adrenocorticotrophic hormone stimulation test in the medical hospitalist units of a tertiary hospital. Their baseline characteristics and clinical features were evaluated, and the risk factors for AI were identified using logistic regression analysis.Of the study patients, 65 (35%) were diagnosed with AI, in whom general weakness (63%) was the most common symptom. Multivariate logistic regression showed that eosinophilia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-16.63;AI was found in about one-third of patients with cancer who showed general symptoms that may be easily masked by cancer or chemotherapy, suggesting that clinical suspicion of AI is important while treating cancer patients. History of corticosteroids or megestrol acetate were risk factors for AI and eosinophilia was a pre-test predictor of AI. Baseline cortisol level appears to be a useful adjunct marker for AI.

This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with isolated respiratory and extrarespiratory mucormycosis.Adult patients diagnosed with proven or probable invasive mucormycosis in a tertiary hospital in South Korea, between 1999 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. We compared the clinical, mycological characteristics, and outcomes of patients with isolated respiratory mucormycosis (IRM) and those with extrarespiratory mucormycosis (ERM).A total of 44 patients including 32 (72%) with IRM, and 12 (27%) with ERM were enrolled. Of these, 38 (86%) were classified as proven and 6 (14%) as probable invasive mucormycosis according to the EORTC/MSG criteria. Univariate analysis exhibited that old age, surgery, and intensive care unit were associated with ERM, and multivariable analysis revealed that variable associated with ERM was intensive care unit (aOR 9.80; 95% CI 2.07-46.35; P = 0.004). There were no significant differences in 90-day mortality between patients with IRM and ERM (38% vs 50%, P = 0.45). In multivariable analysis, neutropenia (aOR 6.88; 95% CI 1.67-28.27; P = 0.01) was an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality.More than a quarter of patients with mucormycosis had extrarespiratory manifestations, especially in patients who were admitted to intensive care unit. The mortality of the patients with ERM was comparable to that of the patients with IRM, although the patients with ERM received ICU care more frequently.

Objectives Superimposed multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) co-infection can be associated with worse outcomes in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even if these patients were managed with strict airborne and contact precautions. Identifying risk factors for isolation of MDROs is critical to COVID-19 treatment. Methods All eligible adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia from 10 hospitals in the Republic of Korea between February 2020 and May 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. Using this cohort, epidemiology and risk factors for isolation of MDROs were evaluated. Results Of 152 patients, 47 with microbial culture results were included. Twenty isolates of MDROs from 13 (28%) patients were cultured. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (five isolates) was the most common MDRO, followed by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (four isolates). MDROs were mostly isolated from sputum samples (80%, 16/20). The median time from hospitalization to MDRO isolation was 28 days (interquartile range, 18–38 days). In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with MDRO isolation (62% versus 15%; p = 0.001). Use of systemic corticosteroids after diagnosis of COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 15.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.34–97.01; p = 0.004) and long-term care facility (LTCF) stay before diagnosis of COVID-19 (aOR: 6.09; 95% CI: 1.02–36.49; p = 0.048) were associated with MDRO isolation. Conclusions MDROs were isolated from 28% of COVID-19 pneumonia patients with culture data and 8.6% of the entire cohort. Previous LTCF stay and adjunctive corticosteroid use were risk factors for the isolation of MDROs. Strict infection prevention strategies may be needed in these COVID-19 patients with risk factors.

The prevalence of human taeniasis has decreased in Korea. The stool egg positive proportion decreased from 1.9% in 1971 to 0% in 2004 in nationwide surveys. The neurocysticercosis (NCC) is also presumed to decrease. However, detailed information regarding the recent status of NCC in Korea is lacking. We retrospectively reviewed NCC cases from 1990 to 2016 at Asan Medical Center, a 2700-bed tertiary referral hospital in Korea. We identified patients based on clinical symptoms, brain imaging, pathology and serological assay. The cases were classified as parenchymal, extraparenchymal, and mixed NCC. Eighty-one patients were included in the analysis. The mean age was 54.5 years, and 79.0% were male. The number of NCC cases was highest from 1995 to 1999, and continuously decreased thereafter. Forty (49.4%) patients had parenchymal NCC, while 25 (30.9%) patients had extraparenchymal NCC, and 16 (19.8%) patients had mixed NCC. The seizure and headache were most common symptom of parenchymal NCC and extraparenchymal NCC respectively. Hydrocephalus was more common in extraparenchymal NCC, and patients with extraparenchymal NCC were more likely to require a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Cases of NCC are decreasing accordingly with human taeniasis and lesion location was the most important determinant of clinical presentation and outcome of NCC in Korea.

This study aimed to evaluate the infectious disease (ID) physician workforce in Korea. We investigated the acquisition of ID physicians from 1992 to 2019 with their current working place in the Health Care System. We defined ID physicians working at general or tertiary-care hospitals as active ID physicians. A total 275 physicians acquired ID as a sub-specialty. Among the 275, 242 were active ID physicians. The density of active ID physicians was 0.47 per 100,000 population. Of all the 17 administrative districts, 11 (64.7%) fell short of 0.47, and 131 medical institutions employed the service of ID physicians. The median number of beds per adult ID physician was 372 (interquartile range, 280–507). It is essential to secure human resources to respond to emerging infectious diseases and perform the inherent work of ID physicians., Graphical Abstract

Background Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection is associated with significant mortality, causing worldwide concern, yet there are limited data on contributing microbiological factors. This study aimed to identify the clinical and microbiologic risk factors for mortality in CRAB bacteremia. Methods Adult patients with monomicrobial CRAB bacteremia in a 2700-bed tertiary hospital between December 2012 and December 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. Risk factors for 30-day mortality were evaluated. All isolates collected on the first day of bacteremia were subjected to colistin susceptibility testing by broth microdilution and to genotyping by multilocus sequence typing. Results A total of 164 patients were enrolled, and 90 (55%) died within 30 days. The most common genotype among the isolates was ST191 (49%), and 12 isolates (7%) were resistant to colistin. Genotype, colistin minimum inhibitory concentration, and colistin resistance were not significantly associated with mortality, in contrast to several clinical factors. In multivariable analysis, ineradicable or not-eradicated focus (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.92; 95% CI, 1.95–12.42; P = .001), septic shock (aOR, 4.72; 95% CI, 2.12–10.49; P < .001), and inappropriate antimicrobial therapy (aOR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.05–6.16; P = .04) were independent risk factors for mortality. Among antibiotic strategies, colistin combined with tigecycline or other antibiotics were significantly associated with lower mortality after adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusions Clinical factors such as the nature of the infection source and source control, severity of bacteremia, and appropriateness of antibiotics, rather than microbiological factors, contribute to mortality in CRAB bacteremia. A specific antibiotic combination may help improve outcomes.

Importance There is limited information about the clinical course and viral load in asymptomatic patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Objective To quantitatively describe SARS-CoV-2 molecular viral shedding in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective evaluation was conducted for a cohort of 303 symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 6 and March 26, 2020. Participants were isolated in a community treatment center in Cheonan, Republic of Korea. Main Outcomes and Measures Epidemiologic, demographic, and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Attending health care personnel carefully identified patients’ symptoms during isolation. The decision to release an individual from isolation was based on the results of reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay from upper respiratory tract specimens (nasopharynx and oropharynx swab) and lower respiratory tract specimens (sputum) for SARS-CoV-2. This testing was performed on days 8, 9, 15, and 16 of isolation. On days 10, 17, 18, and 19, RT-PCR assays from the upper or lower respiratory tract were performed at physician discretion. Cycle threshold (Ct) values in RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection were determined in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Results Of the 303 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the median (interquartile range) age was 25 (22-36) years, and 201 (66.3%) were women. Only 12 (3.9%) patients had comorbidities (10 had hypertension, 1 had cancer, and 1 had asthma). Among the 303 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 193 (63.7%) were symptomatic at the time of isolation. Of the 110 (36.3%) asymptomatic patients, 21 (19.1%) developed symptoms during isolation. The median (interquartile range) interval of time from detection of SARS-CoV-2 to symptom onset in presymptomatic patients was 15 (13-20) days. The proportions of participants with a negative conversion at day 14 and day 21 from diagnosis were 33.7% and 75.2%, respectively, in asymptomatic patients and 29.6% and 69.9%, respectively, in symptomatic patients (including presymptomatic patients). The median (SE) time from diagnosis to the first negative conversion was 17 (1.07) days for asymptomatic patients and 19.5 (0.63) days for symptomatic (including presymptomatic) patients (P = .07). The Ct values for the envelope (env) gene from lower respiratory tract specimens showed that viral loads in asymptomatic patients from diagnosis to discharge tended to decrease more slowly in the time interaction trend than those in symptomatic (including presymptomatic) patients (β = −0.065 [SE, 0.023];P = .005). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who were isolated in a community treatment center in Cheonan, Republic of Korea, the Ct values in asymptomatic patients were similar to those in symptomatic patients. Isolation of asymptomatic patients may be necessary to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Background Ocular involvement of candidemia can result in serious complications, including vision loss. This study investigated the risk factors for ocular involvement in patients with candidemia and the outcomes of treatment. Methods Episodes of candidemia in hospitalized adults who underwent ophthalmic examinations within 2 weeks of candidemia onset between January 2014 and May 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Their demographic characteristics, antifungal treatments, and visual outcomes were evaluated. Results During the study period, 438 adults were diagnosed with candidemia, with 275 (62.8%) undergoing ophthalmic examinations within 2 weeks. Of these 275 patients, 59 (21.5%) had fundoscopic abnormalities suggestive of ocular involvement, including 51 with chorioretinitis and eight with Candida endophthalmitis. Eleven patients were symptomatic. Persistent candidemia (adjusted odd ratio [aOR], 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–5.08; P = 0.01), neutropenia during the preceding 2 weeks (aOR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.14–7.53; P = 0.03), and C. albicans infection (aOR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.09–4.24; P = 0.03) were independently associated with ocular involvement. Among the 24 patients with neutropenia, 41.7% had ocular involvements at the initial examination. Ophthalmologic examination even before the neutrophil recovery was positive in one-third of neutropenic patients. Out of the 37 patients in whom ocular outcomes after 6 weeks were available, 35 patients showed favorable or stable fundoscopic findings. Two patients had decreased visual acuity despite the stable fundoscopic finding. Conclusion Neutropenia within two weeks of candidemia was a risk factor for ocular involvement. More than 80 percent of patients with ocular involvements were asymptomatic, emphasizing the importance of routine ophthalmic examinations. The median 6 weeks of systemic antifungal treatment resulted in favorable outcomes in 89.2% of patients.

Background Vaccination after serological evaluation of healthcare workers is key component of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) preparedness in hospital. The aim of this study is to determine the seroprevalence of VPDs and the vaccination rates among newly employed nurses and doctors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a referral university hospital in the Republic of Korea. All newly employed nurses and doctors without immunity were recommended to have the hepatitis B virus (HBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), hepatitis A virus (HAV) and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccination. HBV, VZV, MMR vaccinations were financially supported and Tdap vaccination was recommended without testing. We investigated the seroprevalence of HAV, HBV, and VZV and vaccination rate of recommended vaccination (HAV, HBV, MMR, VZV, and Tdap) from Jan 1st, 2017 to March 31th, 2020. Results A total of 668 (527 female, 141 male) newly employed nurses and doctors were identified. The median age (IQR) is 25 (24-27). Seroprevalence were 59.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 55.4-62.8) for HAV, 86.1% (95% CI 83.5-88.7) for HBV, and 92.4% (95% CI 90.4-94.4) for VZV. Vaccination rate of recommended vaccination were 24.5% (95% CI 18.5-30.5) for HAV, 23.3% (95% CI 13.6-33.0) for HBV, 48.7% (95% CI 33.0-64.4) for VZV, 30.0% (95% CI 25.5-34.5) for MMR and 33.1% (95% CI 29.0-37.2) for Tdap respectively. Conclusion Seroprevalence of HAV was lower than HBV and varicella in newly employed nurses and doctors. Although persistent effort to improve the healthcare worker’s vaccination, the actual rates were low. Further strategy promoting vaccination of newly employed nurses and doctors are needed. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Background Activities of infection control and prevention are diverse and complicated. Regular and well-organized inspection of infection control is essential element of infection control program. The aim of study was to identify strong points and limitations of weekly infection control rounding (ICTR) in an acute care hospital. Methods We conducted weekly ICTR to improve the compliance of infection control in the real field at a 734-bed academic hospital in Republic of Korea. The monitoring team consists of five infection prevention practitioners and four infectious diseases physicians. Total 85 practices of infection control and prevention belonging to the respective category among 9 categories were observed. The result of the rounding are categorized well maintained, improvement is needed, long-term support such as space or manpower is needed, not applicable and could not observed. We investigated retrospectively the functional coverage of a weekly ICTR from January to December 2018. Results During the study period, weekly ICTR were performed total 47 times in 37 departments. ICTR visited median 7 times [interquartile range (IQR) 6-7 times] per department. When visiting a department, ICTR observed median 16 practices (IQR 12-22). During the monitoring period, we could observe 7511 practices in total. Of those results, Most of the practices (74.8%) were able to be monitored properly by ICTR, while some of the practices were not applicable (21.3%) or difficult to observe through ICTR (3.9%)(Table 1). The most common practices among the difficult-to-observe group belong to strategies to prevent catheter-related or surgical site infection and pneumonia (13%, 68/538), safety injection practices (8%, 65/758), linen and laundry management (7%, 33/496), followed by strategies to prevent occupationally-acquired infection (6%, 37/578). Table 1. Conclusion ICTR has strength in regular visits to each department. However, additional observation is necessary, especially for prevention of cathether-related infection and surgical site infection. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Background There is a growing concern on infections with multiple organisms including fungi in patients with mucormycosis. However, limited data are available on co-infection in patients with mucormycosis. Methods Patients with proven mucormycosis were retrospectively enrolled at a tertiary hospital from July 2009 to January 2019. Proven mucormycosis was defined as positive fungal culture result for mucormycosis from a sterile biopsy specimen and/or histologic evidence of tissue invasion of hyphae with positive mucormycosis immunohistochemistry test result. We reviewed other pathogens isolated from sterile or non-sterile sites before and after 7 days from the biopsy for infected tissue that suggested invasive fungal infection. Results A total of 61 patients with proven mucormycosis were analyzed. The primary site of infection was as follows; lung (n = 38, 62.3%), rhino-sinus (n = 21, 34.4%), and orbito-cerebral (n = 15, 24.6%). Based on sterile culture results, 4 patients (6.6%) had the evidence of co-infection with other fungi including Candida species (from 3 cases; C. albicans from 1, C. glabrata from 1 and C. krusei from 1), A. flavus (1), and F. solani (1), and 23 patients (37.7%) had the evidence of co-infection with bacteria including E. faecium (VRE) (8), P. aeruginosa (5),coagulase-negative staphylococci (5), methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (4) and others. Based on non-sterile culture results, 10 patients (16.4%) had the evidence of co-infection with fungi other than mucormycosis including Aspergillus species (5, A. fumigatus from 1, Aspergillus not fumigatus from 1 and A. oryzae from 1), Candida species (5, C. albicans from 2, C. tropicalis from 2 and C. glabrata from 1), Penicillium species (1), S. cerevisiae (1) and P. jirovecii (1), and 24 patients (39.3%) had evidence of bacterial co-infection including S. maltophilia (5), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (5), E. faecium (VSE) (3), K. pneumonia (3), P. aeruginosa (3), and others. Conclusion Bacterial or fungal co-infections appear to frequently occur as appreciated before in patients with mucormycosis. These data provide us important information to select empirical antifungal and antibacterial agents. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Background Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection is an emerging clinical issue and shows high mortality rates. There are a few studies that have evaluated the microbiologic risk factors for mortality in CRAB bacteremia. Aim of this study is to identify the clinical and microbiologic risk factors for mortality in CRAB bacteremia. Methods Adult patients with monomicrobial CRAB bacteremia at a 2,700-bed tertiary hospital between December 2012 and December 2018 were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Risk factors for 30-day mortality were evaluated through a detailed clinical and microbiological analysis of study patients. All isolates collected on the first day of bacteremia were subjected to colistin susceptibility testing by broth microdilution and genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Results A total of 164 patients were enrolled and 90 (55%) died within 30 days. Of the 164 patients, 111 (68%) were male and median age was 66.5 years. The most common MLST genotype was ST191 (80 isolates, 49%), followed by ST451 (14%) and ST784 (13%), and 12 (7%) isolates were resistant to colistin (MIC ≥4 mg/L). Deceased patients were more likely to have hematologic malignancy, neutropenia, pneumonia, and primary bacteremia; less likely to have solid tumor, catheter-related infection, and biliary tract infection; more likely to have a high Pitt bacteremia score; and less likely to receive appropriate antibiotic treatment, colistin, and combination therapy with colistin and tigecycline, compared with surviving patients (Table 1). Genotype, colistin MIC, and colistin resistance were not associated with mortality (Figure 1 and 2). In multivariable analysis, neutropenia (aOR, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.18–8.95), catheter-related infection (aOR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11–0.99), biliary tract infection (aOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04–0.99), a high Pitt bacteremia score (aOR,1.42; 95% CI, 1.20–1.67), and combination therapy with colistin and tigecycline (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.14–0.92) were independent risk factors for mortality (Table 2). Conclusion Clinical factors such as the site of infection, severity of bacteremia, and specific combination therapy rather than microbiologic factors contributed to mortality in CRAB bacteremia. Appropriate combination therapy may help improving outcomes in CRAB bacteremia. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Background: Interferon (IFN)-γ-releasing assay for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) has shown promise; however, there are only a few reports on usefulness of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) for diagnosing TB vertebral osteomyelitis. Methods: All patients presenting at a tertiary hospital between January 2010 and July 2016 with suspected TB vertebral osteomyelitis were retrospectively enrolled to evaluate the diagnostic performance of QFT-GIT. We used QFT-GIT to measure the IFN-γ response to ESAT-6, CFP-10 and TB7.7. Results: A total of 141 patients were enrolled; 32 (23%) were categorized as having confirmed TB, (1%) as probable TB, 14 (10%) as possible TB and 93 (66%) as not TB. Of these, 16 patients with probable and possible TB were excluded from the final analysis. Chronic granulomas with/without necrosis, acid-fast bacilli stain, M. tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction and cultures for M. tuberculosis were positive in 14 (44%), 12 (38%), 22 (69%) and 28 (88%) patients, respectively, among the 32 patients with confirmed TB. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, likelihood ratio for a positive result, and likelihood ratio for a negative result of the QFT-GIT for TB vertebral osteomyelitis were 91% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75–98%), 65% (95% CI, 54–75%), 50% (95% CI, 42–58%), 95% (95% CI, 86–98%), 2.59 (95% CI, 1.89–3.55) and 0.14 (95% CI, 0.05–0.43), respectively. Conclusion: The QFT-GIT appears to be a useful adjunct test for diagnosing TB vertebral osteomyelitis because the negative test results may be useful for excluding a diagnosis of active TB vertebral osteomyelitis.

Summary Power generation characteristics of a sandwich-type thermoelectric generator in which the heat source is embedded into thermoelectric elements are investigated. Our previous work on a similar concept only considered a uniform heat source distribution inside thermoelectric elements. In this work, the effect of the spatial distribution of a heat source is examined. In particular, the effect of the concentration of heat source near the one end, that is, the hot end, is intensively studied as a potential means of improving the efficiency of the device. Although the effects of heat source concentration in impractical cases without heat transfer limitations on the cold side remain ambiguous, it become clear that heat source concentration indeed has positive effects in more realistic cases with finite heat transfer coefficients imposed on the cold side. Because of the relatively low efficiency of typical thermoelectric generation, a significant amount of heat must be dissipated from the cold end of the thermoelectric element. Greater heat source concentration near the hot end leads to more effective utilization of available heat source, reduces the amount of heat rejected at the cold end, and lowers the hot end temperature of the thermoelectric element. Overall, it is suggested that heat source concentration can be used as a method to achieve more efficient operation and better structural integrity of the system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effect of material locations on the properties of friction stir welding (FSW) joints of two dissimilar aluminium alloys was investigated by experiments. The result of the microstructural analysis shows that the material mixing patterns in the FSW joints are quite different depending on the locations of the base metals. For the given aluminium alloys, the materials were more properly mixed when the 5052-H32 aluminium alloy was in the advancing side and the 6061-T6 aluminium alloy was in the retreating side than the case of the 6061-T6 aluminium alloy in the advancing side and the 5052-H32 aluminium alloy in the retreating side. The lowest value of the microhardness measured in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the 5052-H32 aluminium alloy side for the both FSW joints explains why the quasi-static tensile test specimens were fractured at the 5052-H32 side of joint for the both FSW joints.

Background Diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) relies on microscopic visualization of P. jirovecii, or detection of Pneumocystis DNA in respiratory specimens, which involves invasive procedures such as bronchoalveolar lavage. The (1–3)-β-D-glucan (BG) assay has been proposed as a less invasive and less expensive diagnostic test to rule out PCP. We therefore compared blood levels of BG in patients with PCP with those of patients with candidemia, chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC), invasive aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and tuberculosis and those of healthy volunteers. Methods Adult patients who were diagnosed with PCP, candidemia, CDC, invasive aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and tuberculosis whose blood samples were available, and healthy volunteers were enrolled in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, during a 21-month period. The blood samples were assayed with the Goldstream Fungus (1–3)-β-D-glucan test (Gold Mountain River Tech Development, Beijing, China). Results A total of 136 individuals including 50 patients P. jirovecii,15 candidemia, 6 CDC, 15 invasive aspergillosis, 10 mucormycosis, and 40 controls (20 TB and 20 healthy volunteers) were included. The mean±SD of the concentration of 1–3-β-D-glucan in the patients with PCP (290.08 pg/mL±199.98) were similar to those of patients with candidemia (314.14 pg/mL±205.60, p = 0.90 at an α = 0.005) and CDC (129.74 pg/mL±182.79, p = 0.03 at an α = 0.005), but higher than those of patients with invasive aspergillosis (131.62 pg/mL±161.67, p = 0.002 at an α = 0.005), mucormycosis (95.08 pg/mL±146.80, p 31.25 pg/mL, which is highly sensitive for PCP versus tuberculosis plus healthy volunteers at the expense of specificity, the BG assay had a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI 81%-98%) and a specificity of 55% (95% CI 39%-71%). Conclusions The BG assay appears to be a useful adjunct test for PCP.