Biosafety Practices Research Articles

Application of Biosafety Principles in Laboratory Analysis of Clinical Samples from Patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 poses a great challenge to clinical and diagnostic services around the world. The need of biosafety practices can never be emphasised more than under current circumstances. The four pillars of biosafety namely, leadership, standard operating procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls must be employed for effective and safe practices in the clinical setting in general and laboratory settings in particular. Risk assessment must be carried out before meeting up the diagnostic challenge for COVID-19 and essential biorisk management measures are required to be taken. In our resource-poor settings, we need to adapt safe but cost-effective and improvised solutions to ensure safe handling of clinical samples from COVID-19 patients in the laboratories. The correct use of PPE and their suitable alternatives are available for selection and use. Disinfection of the lab areas and safe disposal of the clinical samples from such patients is also of paramount importance.

Proposal of the Autopsy Guideline for Infectious Diseases: Preparation for the Post-COVID-19 Era (abridged translation).

With the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic over the past few months, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. Innumerable lives have been lost to this novel infectious disease, the nature of which supersedes conventional medical understanding. The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a global health crisis, several aspects of life in the post-COVID-19 era are also being contemplated. Experts in unison are warning that the upcoming changes in all areas of life could potentially be far more drastic than ever experienced in the entire human civilization. The medical community is no exception, and therefore, personnel involved in forensic medicine also need to be adequately prepared for the future. Forensic medicine is a branch of medicine dedicated to one of the most important stages of the human lifecycle and has always been at the forefront in times of unprecedented social change. The autopsy, one of the most important tools of forensic medicine, is also useful to infectious diseases because it identifies the causal relationship between death and infection, reveals medical and epidemiological knowledge, and provides objective evidence for legal disputes. We present new autopsy guidelines in forensic medicine, formulated based on the various infectious diseases that we presently live with and may encounter in the future. In formulation of these guidelines several considerations have been taken into account, namely, the role forensic pathologists should play in the post-COVID-19 era and the necessary preparations as well as the support needed from society to fulfill that role. The present COVID-19 outbreak should be a starting point for formulating improvements in current practices in forensic science, including autopsy biosafety practices and the medicolegal death investigation system.

POPULATION KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) IN NORTHERN PARANÁ – BRAZIL

SARS-CoV2 has characteristics that are still unknown and therefore untreated. This disease demands efficient biosafety practices for professionals and the population considering the high infectivity rate of these viruses. The objective of this work was to evaluate the knowledge of the population of Northern Paraná - Brazil about the methods indicated for the prevention and reduction of the risk of infections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A field research was carried out in the form of a cross-sectional design with the participation of 137 respondents. A questionnaire was applied through Google Forms, the data collected were evaluated using the IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 25) and the dependence of the variables through Pearson's Chi-square test. In this work it was concluded that the population was conscious about the importance of prevention, forms of contagion and symptoms related to the Pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, individuals observe professional ethics regarding infection prevention. The mechanisms for seeking health services are not yet clear to the general population. Finally, information on health prevention should be better understood by the population, since health professionals have less infectious diseases.

Evaluation of Event Based Surveillance System of Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in Balochistan Pakistan, 2017

Background: Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an acute viral zoonotic disease that is endemic in Pakistan. Poverty, limited awareness and lack of biosafety practices make it a potential occupational health risk. A poor surveillance system makes it more difficult to monitor the disease burden. Purpose: An evaluation was carried out to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the event-based CCHF surveillance system in Balochistan, Pakistan, and to propose recommendations for improvement. Methods: A descriptive evaluation study was conducted at an isolation ward of a public hospital from November 2017 to February 2018 in Balochistan Province. Event-based CCHF surveillance system was evaluated by using updated CDC guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems. Data were collected through review of records and interaction with stakeholders. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, surveillance system attributes were assessed according to the guidelines in the study tool. Findings: The system was simple, but had no standardised case definition. It was found to be flexible as new health-related events could be easily incorporated. Data quality was moderate; 80% (75/94) of the reports were completely filled. The system had good timeliness but lacked involvement of the private sector. Acceptability was good with involvement of different government stakeholders. Sensitivity was poor while positive predictive value was 27.5%. Conclusion: Event based surveillance for CCHF can be improved by involvement of private practitioners and laboratories in the surveillance system to improve representativeness. The timeliness could be improved by adopting an online reporting mechanism. Feedback, support and supervision should be ensured for data quality assurance. Periodic refresher trainings of the staff could be organized.

Detecting Emerging Infectious Diseases: An Overview of the Laboratory Response Network for Biological Threats.

The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) was established in 1999 to ensure an effective laboratory response to high-priority public health threats. The LRN for biological threats (LRN-B) provides a laboratory infrastructure to respond to emerging infectious diseases. Since 2012, the LRN-B has been involved in 3 emerging infectious disease outbreak responses. We evaluated the LRN-B role in these responses and identified areas for improvement. LRN-B laboratories tested 1097 specimens during the 2014 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreak, 180 specimens during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, and 92 686 specimens during the 2016-2017 Zika virus outbreak. During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, the LRN-B uncovered important gaps in biosafety and biosecurity practices. During the 2016-2017 Zika outbreak, the LRN-B identified the data entry bottleneck as a hindrance to timely reporting of results. Addressing areas for improvement may help LRN-B reference laboratories improve the response to future public health emergencies.

Survey of Suspected Laboratory-Acquired Infections and Biosafety Practices in Research, Clinical, and Veterinary Laboratories in Karachi, Pakistan.

Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs), an occupational illness, are defined as all infections acquired through laboratory or laboratory-related activities. A report published in 1898 described an LAI resulting from Corynebacterium diphtheriae being transmitted through mouth pipetting. Despite all efforts, LAIs continue, especially in developing countries like Pakistan, which has been fighting to curb many infectious diseases. As reflected in the published literature, the biosafety culture is severely lacking in many laboratories, and there are no data available from Pakistan on LAIs. Our objective was to ascertain the frequency and rate of LAIs in various labs with versatile portfolios in relation to biosafety and biosecurity practices in Karachi. Ours is a descriptive multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in 30 laboratories located in Karachi from November 2017 to April 2018. Data were collected from laboratories including the university hospital labs, research labs, animal labs, and biomedical labs. Out of 30 facilities, half (n = 15) were clinical/biomedical laboratories, 16.6% (n = 5) were university hospital laboratories, 26.6% (n = 8) were R&D laboratories, and 6.6% (n = 2) were animal laboratories. Needle stick was found to be the most common injury, followed by animal bite/scratch, cut on mucous membrane, falling of personnel, and burn injury.

Building Biosafety Capacity in Our Nation's Laboratories.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak revealed biosafety vulnerabilities across the United States. We distributed $24.1 million to health departments to support public health laboratories (PHLs) and sentinel clinical laboratory partners to improve biosafety practices. We used 9 indicators to evaluate PHLs and associated clinical laboratories from March 2015 through April 2018 using descriptive statistics. On average, over 6 reporting periods, 59 awardee PHLs and 4,040 clinical laboratories responded. By April 2018, 92% (57 of 62) of PHLs had conducted at least 1 risk assessment for work with Ebola and another highly infectious disease. The number of PHLs having a policy for risk assessments increased from 32 of 61 (52%) to 49 of 54 (91%). The percentage of awardees meeting the target (80%) for associated clinical laboratories with staff certifications to package/ship rose from 32% (19 of 60) to 46% (25 of 54). The percentage of awardees meeting the target (70%) for associated clinical laboratories with risk assessment policies increased from 18% (8 of 44) to 28% (15 of 54). Awardees reported improvement among Ebola treatment centers/Ebola assessment hospitals with policies to perform risk assessments from 48% (20 of 42) to 67% (34 of 51). Public health laboratories and their clinical partners made progress on their abilities to address biosafety concerns and implement consistent biosafety practices, improving their ability to work safely with biological threats. More attention is needed to address gaps in the clinical community. Support for biosafety activities is critical to continuing to achieve progress.

CDC and Clinical Laboratory Partners: Analysis of Biosafety Gaps Revealed During the Ebola Outbreak

Abstract Objectives Patient care and public health in the United States depend on timely and reliable clinical laboratory testing. A third of the roughly 500 million yearly patient visits to health care providers involve at least one laboratory test, and approximately 70% of medical decisions are based upon test results. However, the performance of clinical laboratory testing could be compromised by patient specimens potentially contaminated with highly infectious materials. The importance of biosafety in clinical laboratories was highlighted during the 2014 Ebola crisis, where fears about safety resulted in some institutions refusing or delaying tests on patient specimens, which resulted in delayed diagnoses and contributed to patient deaths. Methods In collaboration with subject matter experts from academia, medical centers, and federal institutions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reviewed the capability of clinical laboratories to safely test patient specimens potentially contaminated with highly infectious materials, like Ebola. Current biosafety guidance for clinical laboratories has been largely based on biosafety practices in research laboratories, so the guidelines do not always correspond to clinical laboratories and may be incomplete or occasionally inconsistent. While essential to patient care, clinical laboratories are also unique environments with specialized equipment, processes, and therefore distinct challenges. Here we discuss the complexity of clinical laboratories and describe how applying current biosafety guidance to clinical laboratories may be difficult and confusing at best or inappropriate and harmful at worst. We describe biosafety gaps and opportunities for improvement in the areas of ethics; risk assessment and management; automated and manual laboratory disciplines; specimen collection, processing, and storage; test utilization; waste management; laboratory personnel training and competency assessment; and accreditation processes. Conclusion These identified gaps in knowledge and practice could inform future research and education in clinical laboratory biosafety.

Building of a gene therapy facility: a Singapore experience

Background & Aim In recent years, using gene-modified cell therapy products for treatment of diseases has gained traction. This is largely due to the improved safety profile of the newer generation of viral vectors and several of such therapies have already obtained marketing authorisation. With time, the number of available treatment and demand are likely to increase. As these products can only be produced ex-vivo using patients’ cells, there is a need for a production site within Singapore that can meet both biosafety and good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements. Methods, Results & Conclusion The Cell Therapy Facility at Health Sciences Authority, Singapore houses two independent clean room facilities. The older of the two was constructed in 2006 and it was used to prepare cell therapy products intended for haematopoietic transplantation and immunotherapy. Operations were relocated to a bigger facility in 2011 to accommodate an increasing demand for such products. This facility had since obtained GMP compliance status from the local regulatory body and JACIE accreditation. With current advances in the gene therapy field, it is timely that the older facility can be put into better use by converting it into a separate Gene Therapy Facility for viral vector related cell manufacturing. However, as compared to building a new facility from scratch, modification of an existing facility comes with a different set of challenges. The design and layout of the Gene therapy Facility has to comply to GMP regulations while navigating the constraints of an existing pre-defined space and retaining most of the original infrastructure such as the air control and mechanical ventilation systems. After much consideration, the space is reconfigured to include one large negative-pressured grade B room for cell processing (bubble air-lock design for bio-containment). Additional adjacent grade B and C rooms are carved out for a two-stage gowning process prior to entry into the processing suite and for a unidirectional personnel flow through a different exit. Numerous pass-through windows are installed for proper movement of cell therapy products, supplies and waste. There is one limitation for this design whereby only a single product can be processed at a time. Handling of multiple products has to be managed with proper process controls such as time segregation, proper decontamination and changeover procedures.

Development of a Biosecurity Checklist for Laboratory Assessment and Monitoring.

Introduction:Laboratory biosecurity is of continuously growing interest due to increasing concerns about deliberate misuse of biological materials and emerging biological risks. These risks continue to be magnified by globalization, the rapid pace of scientific development, and dual-use technologies. Worldwide laboratory capacities are expanding, which calls for concrete actions to improve laboratory biosafety and biosecurity practices to protect researchers and the community. Hence, laboratories require comprehensive biorisk management programs to minimize the risk of accidental and deliberate release of infectious biological materials.Objective:Malaysia has prioritized the concern of national biosecurity and aims to consolidate laboratory biosecurity performance to detect and prevent the deliberate release of biological agents.Methods:Two 3-day workshops were organized over the course of four months in which Malaysia collaborated with The Netherlands. This bilateral engagement aimed to integrate biosecurity practices in their national biorisk management programs, and resulted into a comprehensive biosecurity checklist for laboratory assessment and monitoring.Results:This biosecurity checklist is based on Malaysian and Dutch expert opinions and national and international guidelines and regulations. The biosecurity checklist is a survey-driven tool that consists of a set of concrete questions for each key biosecurity area, which are discussion points for assessment.Conclusion:We display a practical biosecurity checklist for laboratory assessment and monitoring. Although the presented checklist was the template for the specific Malaysia checklist, it could serve as a template for other countries.

A Survey on Biosafety Practices in Lab Personnel in 12 Selected Areas of Karachi, Pakistan

The objective of this study was to realize the degree of biosafety precautions and measures recorded among different Private Hospitals and Diagnostic labs personnel situated in different areas of Karachi, Pakistan. One thirty two private hospital based laboratory technicians were selected from all 12 selected areas in Karachi. The laboratory technicians were interviewed then a survey form was completed by the interviewer. The survey was conducted in 3 months duration from May 2017 to July 2017. The total number of members in this study was 132, of which 85 were males and 47 were females. Results presented that 65% of the laboratory technicians did not use any type of PPE and 35% of the respondents recapped used syringes frequently while 25% recapped occasionally. For avoiding the reuse of syringes, Pakistani governments recommend that they be cut before discarding; however, only 65% of the respondents followed the given procedure. Even though mouth pipetting is considered outdated, 45% of the technicians continue to do so for numerous purposes. Results of this survey established an absence of awareness about good and proper lab practices and lab biosafety measures among lab technicians in Karachi, Pakistan.

Risk assessment of tuberculosis laboratories and biosafety practices among laboratory health workers in two selected states in Nigeria

Background: Occupational tuberculosis among mycobacteriology laboratory workers has received insufficient attention especially in countries with high burden of tuberculosis despite the associated greater risk than the general population. The aim of the study was to conduct a risk assessment of tuberculosis (TB) laboratories and biosafety Practices among laboratory health workers.
 Method: A descriptive study conducted among the laboratory health workers involved primarily in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in two selected states in Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire based on tuberculosis laboratory procedure risk assessment was self-administered by consenting laboratory workers. Data obtained were based on the degree of exposure, viability of bacilli, aerosol generation, laboratory configuration, typology and fitness of the staff to work in the TB laboratory. Risk assessment of tuberculosis (TB)laboratories and biosafety practices was determined by these sets of questions and categorized into low, middle and high risk.
 Results: Fifty-eight (58) of the 64 laboratory health workers participated in the study. Their average age was 38.8±7.6 years and male to female ratio of 1 to 1.4 and 82.7% had worked in the TB laboratory for less than 10 years. The calculated risk for occupational TB was low 55(94.8%) and moderate 3(5.2%) without any of the respondents having high risk. With regards to laboratory practices, majority of the respondents (91.4%) did not reuse slides for smear staining, 81.0% admitted that the laboratories were well-ventilated and75% regarded their laboratories safe to work. However, preemployment screening for TB, HIV, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease was done in 3(5.2%), 7(12.1%), 2(3.4%) and 1(1.7%) respectively.
 Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the risk of laboratory health workers exposure to tuberculosis (TB) and potential hazard is low, however moreattention be given to infection control policies and pre-employment screening for TB.

Risk Assessment of Tuberculosis Laboratories and Biosafety Practices among Laboratory Health Workers in Two Selected States in Nigeria

Background: Occupational tuberculosis among mycobacteriology laboratory workers has received insufficient attention especially in countries with high burden of tuberculosis despite the associated greater risk than the general population. The aim of the study was to conduct a risk assessment of tuberculosis (TB) laboratories and biosafety Practices among laboratory health workers.
 Method: A descriptive study conducted among the laboratory health workers involved primarily in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in two selected states in Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire based on tuberculosis laboratory procedure risk assessment was self-administered by consenting laboratory workers. Data obtained were based on the degree of exposure, viability of bacilli, aerosol generation, laboratory configuration, typology and fitness of the staff to work in the TB laboratory. Risk assessment of tuberculosis (TB)laboratories and biosafety practices was determined by these sets of questions and categorized into low, middle and high risk.
 Results: Fifty-eight (58) of the 64 laboratory health workers participated in the study. Their average age was 38.8±7.6 years and male to female ratio of 1 to 1.4 and 82.7% had worked in the TB laboratory for 
 less than 10 years. The calculated risk for occupational TB was low 55(94.8%) and moderate 3(5.2%) without any of the respondents having high risk. With regards to laboratory practices, majority of the respondents (91.4%) did not reuse slides for smear staining, 81.0% admitted that the laboratories were well-ventilated and75% regarded their laboratories safe to work. However, pre- employment screening for TB, HIV, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease was done in 3(5.2%), 7(12.1%), 2(3.4%) and 1(1.7%) respectively.
 Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the risk of laboratory health workers exposure to tuberculosis (TB) and potential hazard is low, however moreattention be given to infection control policies and pre-employment screening for TB.

Knowledge and practices regarding Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus among camel handlers in a Slaughterhouse, Kenya, 2015.

Dromedary camels are implicated as reservoirs for the zoonotic transmission of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) with the respiratory route thought to be the main mode of transmission. Knowledge and practices regarding MERS among herders, traders and slaughterhouse workers were assessed at Athi‐River slaughterhouse, Kenya. Questionnaires were administered, and a check list was used to collect information on hygiene practices among slaughterhouse workers. Of 22 persons, all washed hands after handling camels, 82% wore gumboots, and 65% wore overalls/dustcoats. None of the workers wore gloves or facemasks during slaughter processes. Fourteen percent reported drinking raw camel milk; 90% were aware of zoonotic diseases with most reporting common ways of transmission as: eating improperly cooked meat (90%), drinking raw milk (68%) and slaughter processes (50%). Sixteen (73%) were unaware of MERS‐CoV. Use of personal protective clothing to prevent direct contact with discharges and aerosols was lacking. Although few people working with camels were interviewed, those met at this centralized slaughterhouse lacked knowledge about MERS‐CoV but were aware of zoonotic diseases and their transmission. These findings highlight need to disseminate information about MERS‐CoV and enhance hygiene and biosafety practices among camel slaughterhouse workers to reduce opportunities for potential virus transmission.

The application of PDCA cycle in the bio-safety training for research-oriented medical postgradu-ates

The laboratory of science and technology center at general hospital explored the appli-cation of PDCA cycle in the bio-safety training for research-oriented medical postgraduates, and then analyzed the ef-fect of the training. The laboratory applied the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) into the bio-safety training prac-tice based on its own characteristics. The 4 links of bio-safety practice including bio-safety factors analysis, train-ing plan implementation, training effectiveness evaluation and problems feed-back were integrated with 4 process-es of PDCA cycle management. In view of the problems existing in the laboratory bio-safety training, the PDCA cy-cle model was applied to bio-safety training. Though the PDCA cycle, the laboratory can establish a bio-logical safety quality monitoring mechanism and achieve the system-atization, standardization and normalization of biosafe-ty training. Key words: PDCA cycle; Research-oriented medical postgraduates; Bio-safety

Biosafety and biosecurity capacity building: insights from implementation of the NUITM-KEMRI biosafety training model

The NUITM-KEMRI biosafety training program was developed for capacity building of new biosafety level three (BSL-3) laboratory users. The training program comprehensively covers biosafety and biosecurity theory and practice. Its training curriculum is based on the WHO biosafety guidelines, local biosafety standards, and ongoing biosafety level three research activities in the facility, also taking into consideration the emerging public health issues. The program’s training approach enhances the participant’s biosafety and biosecurity knowledge and builds their skills through the hands-on practice sessions and mentorship training. Subsequently, the trainees are able to integrate acquired knowledge and good practices into their routine laboratory procedures. This article describes implementation of the NUITM-KEMRI biosafety training program.

Biosafety in beauty centers: knowledge and practices in a state capital in Northeast Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the knowledge and biosafety practices adopted by professionals of the beauty segment. METHODS Descriptive study, of survey type. 238 professionals of the beauty segment were interviewed between August 2014 and 2015. The variables were expressed by means of absolute and relative frequencies, as well as average and standard deviation. RESULTS 62.6% of the interviwed professionals reported having had contact with blood from customers when they were not wearing gloves; 74.4% said they washed their hands before and after each service, and only 16.8% of the respondents reported reusing nonsterilizable materials. None of them was able to inform the correct number of sets of tools needed , and 32.8% of the respondents did not use Personal Protective Equipment during their work activities. CONCLUSIONS The most frequently reported diseases associated with the risk of infection and transmission in the work activities were viral hepatitis, HIV and fungi. Regarding the biosafety procedures adopted, autoclave is the least used method for sterilizing devices.

Seropositivity in animals and risk of occupational brucellosis among abattoirs personnel associated with poor work practices and absence of safety policy in Egypt.

Background Occupational hazards are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among abattoirs personnel and animal workers. These hazards result from direct or indirect exposure to potential infection and several distressing events during routine procedures. Objectives To serologically investigate the potential occupational brucellosis hazard at Egyptian abattoirs. To provide an insight on the needed biosafety practices that should be implemented to mitigate the spread of occupational brucellosis among abattoir workers. Methods Two hundred and thirty (n=230) blood samples were collected from animals in two Egyptian abattoirs. The rose Bengal test was used to evaluate the seroprevalence of Brucella in abattoir animals. A questionnaire was distributed among abattoir personnel to address biosafety gaps and deficiencies as a cause of occupational brucellosis. Results The overall seroprevalence of Brucella using the rose Bengal test was 75.2% in the two targeted abattoirs. It was obvious that there are gaps of malpractices and inconvenient behavior among individuals of the targeted community. Conclusions The current findings reveal the missing role of concerned authorities and lack of written safety policy. The data highlights the need for further research, including isolation and characterization of the causative agents, and reliable epidemiological studies.

A Review of Laboratory-Acquired Infections in the Asia-Pacific: Understanding Risk and the Need for Improved Biosafety for Veterinary and Zoonotic Diseases.

A rapid review was performed to determine (1) the number and causes of reported laboratory-acquired infections (LAI) in the Asia-Pacific region; (2) their significance and threat to the community; (3) the primary risk factors associated with LAIs; (4) the consequences in the event of a LAI or pathogen escape; and (5) to make general recommendations regarding biosafety practices for diagnosis and research in the Asia-Pacific region. A search for LAI and zoonoses in the Asia-Pacific region using online search engines revealed a relatively low number of reports. Only 27 LAI reports were published between 1982 and 2016. The most common pathogens associated with LAIs were dengue virus, Arthroderma spp., Brucella spp., Mycobacterium spp., Rickettsia spp., and Shigella spp. Seventy-eight percent (21 out of 27 LAI reports) occurred in high-income countries (i.e., Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan) where laboratories were likely to comply with international biosafety standards. Two upper-middle income countries (China (2), and Malaysia (2)) and one lower-middle income country (India (2)) reported LAI incidents. The majority of the reports (fifty-two percent (14/27)) of LAIs occurred in research laboratories. Five LAI reports were from clinical or diagnostic laboratories that are considered at the frontier for zoonotic disease detection. Governments and laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region should be encouraged to report LAI cases as it provides a useful tool to monitor unintended release of zoonotic pathogens and to further improve laboratory biosafety. Non-reporting of LAI events could pose a risk of disease transmission from infected laboratory staff to communities and the environment. The international community has an important and continuing role to play in supporting laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region to ensure that they maintain the safe working environment for the staff and their families, and the wider community.

A Survey of Biosafety Practices in Clinical Laboratories Personnel from 12 Selected Areas of Karachi, Pakistan

The objective of this study was to realize the degree of biosafety precautions and measures recorded among different Private Hospitals and Diagnostic labs personnel situated in different areas of Karachi including SITE Area, Orangi Town, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, New Karachi, Sadar, Malir Cant, Gulshan-iqbal, Gulistan-johar, Tariq road, Quaid Abad and F.B Area in Karachi, Pakistan. One thirty two private hospital based laboratory technicians were selected from all 12 selected areas in Karachi. The laboratory technicians were interviewed then a survey form was completed by the interviewer. The survey was conducted in 3 months duration from May 2017 to July 2017. The total number of members in this study was 132, of which 85 were males and 47 were females. Results presented that 65% of the laboratory technicians did not use any type of PPE, and 35% of the respondents recapped used syringes frequently while 25% recapped occasionally. For avoiding the reuse of syringes, Pakistani governments recommend that they be cut before discarding; however, only 65% of the respondents followed the given procedure. Even though mouth pipetting is considered outdated, 45% of the technicians continue to do so for numerous purposes. Moreover, standard operating procedures were not obtainable in 59.9% of the labs, and accidental records were not maintained in 72.5%. Results of this survey established an absence of awareness about good and proper lab practices and lab biosafety measures amongst lab technicians in Karachi, Pakistan.