Volume 28, Number 11—November 2022
CME ACTIVITY - Synopsis
Severe Pneumonia Caused by Corynebacterium striatum in Adults, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019
Yun Woo Lee1, Jin Won Huh1, Sang-Bum Hong, Jiwon Jung, Min Jae Kim, Yong Pil Chong, Sung-Han Kim, Heungsup Sung, Kyung-Hyun Do, Sang-Oh Lee, Chae-Man Lim, Yang Soo Kim, Younsuck Koh, and Sang-Ho Choi
Table 1
Characteristics of adult patients with severe pneumonia caused by Corynebacterium striatum, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019*
| Characteristics | Total, n = 130 | C. striatum, n = 27 | MRSA, n = 103 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||||
| M | 92 (70.8) | 18 (66.7) | 74 (71.8) | 0.60 |
| F | 38 (29.2) | 9 (33.3) | 33 (32.0) | |
| Median age (interquartile range) |
71.0 (63.8–77.0) |
72.0 (66.0–80.0) |
71.0 (63.0–76.0) |
0.17 |
| Underlying disease or condition† | ||||
| Solid cancer | 32 (24.6) | 4 (14.8) | 28 (27.2) | 0.18 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 30 (23.1) | 6 (22.2) | 24 (23.3) | 0.91 |
| Structural lung disease | 24 (18.5) | 4 (14.8) | 20 (19.4) | 0.78 |
| Chronic obstructive lung disease | 12 (9.2) | 3 (11.1) | 9 (8.7) | 0.71 |
| Interstitial lung disease | 5 (3.8) | 0 | 5 (4.9) | 0.58 |
| Bronchiectasis | 4 (3.1) | 0 | 4 (3.9) | 0.58 |
| Destroyed lung due to tuberculosis | 1 (0.8) | 0 | 1 (1.0) | 1.00 |
| Pneumoconiosis | 1 (0.8) | 0 | 1 (1.0) | 1.00 |
| Bronchiolitis obliterans | 1 (0.8) | 1 (3.7) | 0 | 0.21 |
| Hematologic malignancy | 13 (10.0) | 5 (18.5) | 8 (7.8) | 0.14 |
| Liver cirrhosis | 11 (8.5) | 2 (7.4) | 9 (8.7) | 1.00 |
| End-stage renal disease | 7 (5.4) | 2 (7.4) | 5 (4.9) | 0.64 |
| Chronic renal failure | 6 (4.6) | 3 (11.1) | 3 (2.9) | 0.10 |
| Congestive heart failure | 3 (2.3) | 1 (3.7) | 2 (1.9) | 0.51 |
| Alcoholism | 2 (1.5) | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 1.00 |
| Cerebrovascular attack | 12 (9.2) | 5 (18.5) | 7 (6.8) | 0.13 |
| Solid organ transplantation | 2 (1.5) | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 0.63 |
| Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation |
3 (2.3) |
2 (7.4) |
1 (1.0) |
0.11 |
| Immunocompromised state‡ | 41 (31.5) | 14 (51.9) | 27 (26.2) | 0.01 |
| Recent chemotherapy | 23 (17.7) | 7 (25.9) | 16 (15.5) | 0.26 |
| Recent surgery, <1 mo | 19 (14.6) | 2 (7.4) | 17 (16.5) | 0.36 |
| Active smoker | 10 (7.7) | 1 (3.7) | 9 (8.7) | 0.69 |
| Neutropenia, <500 cells/mL |
8 (6.2) |
4 (14.8) |
4 (3.9) |
0.06 |
| Category of pneumonia | ||||
| Community-acquired | 6 (4.6) | 1 (3.7) | 5 (4.9) | 1.00 |
| Healthcare-associated | 37 (28.5) | 4 (14.8) | 33 (32.0) | 0.08 |
| Hospital-acquired | 63 (48.5) | 19 (70.4) | 44 (42.7) | 0.01 |
| Ventilator-associated | 24 (18.5) | 3 (11.1) | 21 (20.4) | 0.40 |
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. †Patients could have >1 underlying disease or condition. ‡Defined as >1 of the following conditions: daily receipt of immunosuppressants, including corticosteroids; HIV infection; solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient; receipt of chemotherapy for underlying malignancy during the previous 6 months; or underlying immune deficiency disorder.
1These authors contributed equally to this article.
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