Care Unit Ward Research Articles

Value of coma scale in prediction of mortality in non-traumatic coma in 1-12 years old children

Background: Acute non-traumatic coma is a common problem in pediatric practice accounting for 10-15% of all hospital admissions and is associated with significant mortality. Assessment of the severity of coma is essential to comment on the likelihood of survival in comatose children. In the last three decades, various scores have been used to assess the severity of coma and to predict its outcome. Glasgow Coma Scale (MGCS) in spite of its various drawbacks has been widely used for assessing pediatric coma, though only few studies are available to support its use in pediatric coma as a whole. Hence the study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of coma scale in prediction of mortality in children between 1-12 years old admitted with coma of non-traumatic origin. Methods: A prospective study was conducted at Inpatient services of intensive medical care unit and general medical wards of Institute of child Health and Hospital for children, Egmore, Chennai, between October 2018 to November 2019. A Study Population consisting of children in the age group 1-12 years admitted in intensive care unit and medical wards with alteration in sensorium as one of the predominant complaints and admitted within 7 days of onset of coma were included. Sample size was 148. Chi-square test was used to study the association between the scores at Various times points and outcome. Results: It was observed that when the scores were between 3‐ 5 mortality rate was 67.0%, it was 17% when the minimal observed score was between 6-8. The group in which the minimal score never decreased be1ow 9 had no mortality. As the score increases the proportion of death decreases and the proportion having good recovery increases and vice versa. This type of association has been observed at different time points (Initial, 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs). The significance of this association increases with the progression of time since admission. P value for the degree of association at various time points are: At presentation P < 0.00001, 24hrs - P < 0.000001, 48 hrs - P < 0.000001 and 72 hrs P < 0.00000001. Conclusion: There is highly statistically significant association between the GSC score levels and outcome. As the score increases the proportion of death decreases and the proportion having good recovery increases and vice versa.

Incidence, Clinical Signs and Co-morbidities of Feeding Intolerance among Preterm Infants Aged 28-34 Weeks of Gestation in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Western Nepal- A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: Feeding intolerance is common among the preterm neonates and is associated with different co-morbidities like respiratory depression, respiratory distress syndrome, apnea, hyperbilirubinaemia, and hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. Aim: To find the incidence of feeding intolerance in preterm neonates from 28-34 weeks of gestation along with the clinical signs and co-morbidities associated with feeding intolerance. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational hospital based study was conducted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and postnatal ward of Universal College of Medical Sciences, a tertiary care hospital situated in western Nepal for 12 months (June 2018 to May 2019). All admitted preterm neonates between 28-34 weeks of gestation were included in the study and were followed-up for any neonatal morbidities along with feeding intolerance. Feeding intolerance was defined when the newborn had vomiting and/or abdominal distension and/or increased gastric residual volume with normal disruption of feeding process. Babies with feeding intolerance were subjected to final analysis for clinical signs and co-morbidities. Results: Out of 490 admitted preterm babies (28-34 weeks), 54 (11.02%) had feeding intolerance with 33 (61.1%) babies in the very low birth weight group. The mean birth weights of the total enrolled babies (n=490) and feed intolerant (n=54) babies were 1550 gm and 1418 gm, respectively. Different co- morbidities associated with feeding intolerance were respiratory distress (25.9%), respiratory distress syndrome (22.2%), jaundice (16.7%), apnea (5.6%) and necrotising enterocolitis (3.7%). Among the total 37 preterm deaths, four babies were in the feeding intolerance group. Majority of all feed intolerant babies had vomiting 49 (90.7%) followed by gastric residue (57.4%), abdominal distension (55.6%), and reduced or absent bowel sounds (7.4%), respectively. The incidence of feeding intolerance was increased in babies fed with formula feed (p=0.46) and when feeding was started <24 hours (p=0.22) but the results were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The incidence of feeding intolerance was 11.02% in the preterm neonates (28-34 weeks) with high proportion in very low birth weight babies. Vomiting, gastric residue and abdominal distension were three important signs of feeding intolerance in newborns.

Pathogenic bacteria and their antibiotic sensitivity in ophthalmia neonatorum.

CONTEXT:Emergence of coagulase-negative staphylococci as pathogens in ophthalmia neonatorum.AIMS:To analyze the bacteriological spectrum of ophthalmia neonatorum and its associated risk factors.SETTINGS AND DESIGN:Retrospective analysis in a tertiary care hospital in India.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:A retrospective review was performed in a tertiary care center in India on 139 neonates presenting with conjunctivitis over a period of 3 years. All the neonates presenting to the out-patient department, those admitted in the Neonatal Intensive care Unit and in-patient wards were included in our study. The neonates were clinically examined and followed-up by a single experienced ophthalmologist. Details including demographic data, age of the infant, type of delivery, investigations, and treatment outcomes were analyzed.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED:Frequency calculation using Microsoft Excel for windows 10.RESULTS:In the 92 samples with growth (66.2%), the most common organisms isolated were coagulase-negative Staphylococci (35.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.3%), and Acinetobacter species (16.3%). Others were Staphylococcus aureus (14.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.7%), and Escherichia coli (8.7%). Ophthalmia neonatorum was significantly higher in preterm infants born out of lower-segment cesarean section and those requiring ventilatory support.CONCLUSIONS:Unlike gonococcus, which is implicated in ophthalmia neonatorum, our study shows varied microbiological spectrum and sensitivity patterns with coagulase-negative staphylococci as the key pathogen. The role of coagulase-negative staphylococci as a disease-causing pathogen becomes increasingly important with an imperative need for prudent use of common antibiotics in treating these pathogenic bacteria.

Comparison of Light Emitting Diode Phototherapy vs Conventional Phototherapy for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia: A Quasi-experimental Study

Introduction: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common problem encountered during the neonatal period. Phototherapy is a widely accepted, cheap, non-invasive relatively safe and effective method of treatment for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Aim: To compare the efficacy of Light Emitting Diode (LED) phototherapy vs Conventional Phototherapy for treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in healthy term neonates. Materials and Methods: A quasi experimental study was conducted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Post-natal wards in a tertiary care hospital affiliated to Medical College and Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat from July 2018 to April 2019 with a sample size of 135 in each group. They were assessed clinically by Kramers method just before initiation of phototherapy, then using Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer (TCB) Total Serum Bilirubin (TSB) level was measured. Bilirubin assessment by these methods were done for every neonate before initiation of phototherapy and then again repeated after 24 and 48 hours of phototherapy. Data was collected and analysed in Microsoft (MS) excel Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 0.26. Chi-square test was used for comparison. Results: In the present study, 158 (58.51%) babies were male and 112 (41.48%) babies were female. Initially, LED was found to be better than Compact Fluorescent (CFL) conventional phototherapy on comparing the average fall in the serum bilirubin level from baseline during the first 24 hours however no such difference in the efficacy between the two light sources was seen after a period of 48 hours. Total 9 (6.66%) patients developed rebound hyperbilirubinemia after completion of conventional phototherapy whereas 14 (10.37%) developed rebound hyperbilirubinemia after completion of 48 hours of LED phototherapy. Conclusion: LED and conventional phototherapy were equally efficacious in managing non haemolytic hyperbilirubinemia in healthy term neonates.

Incidence and Outcomes of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Admitted to Hospital With COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background:The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19 and its association with mortality and disease severity is understudied in the Canadian population.Objective:To determine the incidence of AKI in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 admitted to medicine and intensive care unit (ICU) wards, its association with in-hospital mortality, and disease severity. Our aim was to stratify these outcomes by out-of-hospital AKI and in-hospital AKI.Design:Retrospective cohort study from a registry of patients with COVID-19.Setting:Three community and 3 academic hospitals.Patients:A total of 815 patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 between March 4, 2020, and April 23, 2021.Measurements:Stage of AKI, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality.Methods:We classified AKI by comparing highest to lowest recorded serum creatinine in hospital and staged AKI based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) system. We calculated the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio for the stage of AKI and the outcomes of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality.Results:Of the 815 patients registered, 439 (53.9%) developed AKI, 253 (57.6%) presented with AKI, and 186 (42.4%) developed AKI in-hospital. The odds of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death increased as the AKI stage worsened. Stage 3 AKI that occurred during hospitalization increased the odds of death (odds ratio [OR] = 7.87 [4.35, 14.23]). Stage 3 AKI that occurred prior to hospitalization carried an increased odds of death (OR = 5.28 [2.60, 10.73]).Limitations:Observational study with small sample size limits precision of estimates. Lack of nonhospitalized patients with COVID-19 and hospitalized patients without COVID-19 as controls limits causal inferences.Conclusions:Acute kidney injury, whether it occurs prior to or after hospitalization, is associated with a high risk of poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Routine assessment of kidney function in patients with COVID-19 may improve risk stratification.Trial registration:The study was not registered on a publicly accessible registry because it did not involve any health care intervention on human participants.

Evaluation of Care Providers' Attitude toward Perinatal Palliative Care and its Challenges in the Selected Teaching Hospitals of Tehran in 2019.

Objectives:The present study aims to determine the attitudes of care providers including obstetricians, paediatricians and midwives working in perinatal, obstetric and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wards of the selected teaching hospitals in Tehran in 2019. In addition, the challenges of providing palliative care from the perspective of these individuals have been examined.Materials and Methods:In this descriptive study, the research population was selected through convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria. To assess care providers’ attitude toward the perinatal palliative care and the challenges of its implementation, in addition to the questionnaire of demographic characteristics, a researcher-made questionnaire was also used.Results:Most of the care providers (90.5%) believed that parents should be involved in decision-making to select the treatment type. Most of the care providers (90%) believed that the lack of prepared infrastructures is one of the major challenges in providing these types of care.Conclusion:Care providers have almost positive attitudes toward the various dimensions of providing perinatal palliative care, but it has not been properly implemented yet due to the insufficient knowledge of this type of care, the lack of required infrastructures (appropriate conditions in NICUs to provide this type of care, the sufficient number of staff and experts in this field), as well as the health authorities’ neglecting this type of care.

Experiences of Nursing Students in the Care for Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

The present study examined the experiences of nursing students in the care of patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This qualitative study was performed based on inductive qualitative content analysis in 2020. The samples were 10 nursing students who were selected purposively from the emergency and intensive care unit wards of hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data were collected through semistructured and individual interviews and analyzed simultaneously and continuously by Granheim and Landman inductive qualitative content analysis. Experiences of nursing students in the care for patients with COVID-19 include 3 main categories and 7 subcategories: (a) psychological stress (fear of ward and patients and mental conflict), (b) social isolation (rejection by the family and friends, isolation, and concealment of the workplace), and (c) coping strategies as an adaption strategy (a positive impact of spirituality and an effective role of increasing information). According to the findings of this study, the education system and university administrators can help reduce psychological stress and improve the quality of care in nursing students.

Resistance to bacterial infection, complication occurring after cardiac surgery

To analyze the occurrence of resistant bacterial infection in patients undergoing cardiac surgery hospitalized in the surgical specialty hospital, in Erbil city, Iraq. A prospective study was done on a total of 138 patients operated and hospitalized in an intensive care unit and surgical wards. Bacterial isolates identification was done according to cultural characteristics, microscopic examination, some biochemical tests, analytic Profile Index 20E& API Staph, confirmed with VITEK® 2 compact system (BioMérieux). Antimicrobial susceptibility for disc diffusion tested to 17 antimicrobial agents. Resistance isolates were confirmed phenotypically for carbapenemase by Rapidec Carba NP Test (bioMe´rieux SA, Marcy-l'E´toile, France) for ESBLs producers by ESBL screening test VITEK 2 system. Molecularly blaIMP blaTEM, blaKPC, AmpC and blaCTX-M were detected by PCR. In 134 patients, 28.3% of patients got infected post-operatively. The most frequent source of isolation was from ICU patients (75%). Isolated bacteria included gram-positive 29 (54.7%) and gram-negative bacteria 24 (45.3%). Most frequently: Staphylococcus aureus (24.4%), each of pseudomonas aeroginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia (15.1%), Streptococcus spp. (11.3%), Escherichia coli (9.4%). Whereas included Coagulase Negative Staphylococci species (CoNS) (13.2%) and Enterococci species (5.7) Statistical analysis showed significantly higher sensitive isolates as compared with resistance isolates. Resistance to Carbapenems calss was 18.9% and Cephalosporins class 41.5% of isolates. The antimicrobial resistance pattern indicated that MDR bacterial isolates (81.1%) were widespread. Of the 34 phenotypically ESBL positive isolates, the ESBL genes (AmpC, blaCTX-M, and blaTEM) were amplified in 7(20.6), 6(17.6) and 6(17.6) isolates respectively. Out of 8 K. pneumonia (37.5%) harboring both blaAmpC and bla-CTX-M genes, while 6(75%) carries blaTEM. The blaCTX-M gene was found in only 1 (12.5%) out of 8 isolates of P. aeruginosa. While blaAmpC genotyping revealed that 1(7.7%) out of 13 Staph. aureus isolates were harboring it. Finally, 3(60%) out of 5 E. coli isolates harboring both AmpC and bla-CTX-M genes. Cardiac surgery patients wound show increasingly emerging strains of ESBL-producing gram-negative bacteria K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa and E. coli especially patients prolonged in the intensive care unit.

A multinational observational study of clinical nutrition practice in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery: The Nutrition Insights Day

Patients undergoing major gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, particularly those with malignancies, have a high risk for malnutrition, requiring perioperative nutritional support to reduce complications. During the Nutrition Insights Day (NID), nutritional data of this patient population were documented in seven Asian countries. Observational, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection of nutritional status, calorie/protein targets/intake, and type of clinical nutrition for up to 5 days before NID. Adult patients following major GI surgery, pre-existing/at (high) risk for malnutrition, on enteral (EN) and/or parenteral nutrition (PN) and latest surgery within 10 days before the NID. Burns, mechanical ventilation on NID, oral nutrition and/or oral nutritional supplements (ONS) on the day before the NID, and emergency procedures. 536 patients from 83 hospitals, mean age 58.8±15.1 years, 59.1% males, were eligible. Leading diagnosis were GI diseases (48.7%) and GI cancer (45.9%). Malnutrition risk was moderate to high in 54% of patients, low in 46%. Hospital length of stay (LOS) before the NID was 9.3±19.0 days, and time since last surgery 3.7±2.4 days. Lowest caloric/protein deficits were observed in patients receiving EN+PN, followed by PN alone and EN alone. Type of clinical nutrition, Body Mass Index and LOS on surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and/or surgical ward were independent predictors of caloric and of protein deficit. There is a high prevalence of postoperative nutritional deficits in Asian GI surgery patients, who are either preoperatively malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, indicating a need to improve nutritional support and education.

Clinical Features and Prognosis of Invasive Ventilation in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Study.

BackgroundWorld Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of COVID-19 constituted a public health emergency of global concern.ObjectivesOwing to limited data on critically ill patients admitted to ICU, we aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and prognosis of these patients based on ventilatory variables and clinical features.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 45 critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) wards of the hospital from April 8 to May 9, 2020, were enrolled. Medical files of the patients were reviewed, and demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory data, lung CT scan findings, causes of intubation, and outcomes of the patients were all collected.ResultsThe median age of the patients was 67 years (range 22 to 91), 64% were men, and hypertension was the most common comorbidity. History of close contact with previously confirmed patients was positive in 62.2% of the patients. The mean time from symptom onset to hospital admission was 5.98 ± 2.93 days. The most common symptoms at the onset of illness were dyspnea (95.6%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (22.2%) were rare. The average length of the intubation was 4.84 ± 3.28 days. The distribution of intubation causes in the deceased patients was significantly more than the recovered patients (P = 0.031). The mean score of lung CT involvement in deaths (370.26 ± 207.50) was significantly higher than the recovered patients (235.71 ± 81.21) (P = 0.042). Length of the intubation had a statistically direct correlation with respiratory rate (P = 0.03).ConclusionsMost of the critically ill patients admitted to ICU were older men and had poor outcomes with a high mortality rate. Furthermore, the score of chest CT involvement and respiratory rate are important prognostic factors in determining the severity of the illness, requiring ventilatory support, and outcome.

Direct admission to improve timely access to care for patients requiring transfer to a level 1 trauma center

BackgroundEmergency departments (EDs) at level 1 trauma centers are often overcrowded and deny ED-to-ED transfers from lower-tiered centers. Lack of access to timely level 1 care is associated with increased...

Distribution of NDM1 Carbapenemase-Producing Proteeae Strains on High-Risk Hospital Wards.

BackgroundCarbapenem-resistant Proteeae (CRP) is a group of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms that raise special treatment problems due to their intrinsic resistance to colistin. In this study, our aim is to provide a phenotypic and molecular characterization of the carbapenemases secreted by CRP strains isolated from inpatients from an intensive care unit (ICU) and surgical wards, as well as the identification of the risk factors involved in their acquisition.MethodsAn observational, cross-sectional study was performed which included all Proteeae strains isolated in samples from inpatients on high-risk wards of the largest university hospital in Western Romania, from July 2017 to April 2019. Meropenem-resistant strains (N=65) with MIC ≥16 µg/mL were subjected to a singleplex PCR assay for the detection of blaNDM, blaVIM and blaCTX-M genes. The analysis of risk factors was performed by logistic regression.ResultsOut of 8317 samples that were processed, 400 Proteeae strains were isolated: 64% belonging to the genus Proteus, 26.75% to the genus Providencia and 9.25% to the genus Morganella. Most CRP strains (N=56) were of MBL type, and 55 had the blaNDM gene as the prevalent gene substrate. P. stuartii was the main species that provided the circulating MDR strains. Most CRP strains came from patients admitted to ICU, being isolated mainly from bronchial aspirates and blood cultures. Multivariate analysis revealed 3 independent risk factors – mechanical ventilation>96h (HR: 40.51 [13.65–120.25], p <0.001), tracheostomy (HR: 2.65 [1.14–6.17], p = 0.024) and prolonged antibiotic therapy (HR: 1.01 [1.00–1.02], p = 0.03).ConclusionThere is a significant increase in the incidence of CR P. stuartii strains, the MBL-blaNDM type being predominant. These strains presented various other resistance mechanisms, being often extremely difficult to treat and led to an excess of lethality of 27.16%.

Evaluation of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Findings of Neonates with Clinical Seizure Admitted to Yazd Shahid Sadoughi Hospital and its Effect on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Interventions of Newborns from 2015-2016

Introduction: In neonatal period, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best neuroimaging to find etiology of seizure. The aim of this study was to evaluate brain MRI findings of neonates with clinical seizure and its effect on diagnostic and therapeutic interventions of newborn. Methods: In a retrospective study, medical records and brain MRI findings of neonates with clinical seizure admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Pediatric Ward of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran from September 2018 and before were evaluated. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software , the required indicators and tables were prepared and Fisher exact test and Chi-square test were used to determine the relationship between qualitative variables and independent t-test was used to compare the means in the two groups Results: Twenty-five girls and 38 boys were studied. The cause of seizures was found in 94% and the most common cause of congenital hypoxia was in 22 infants (35%). The most common type of seizure was tonic in 23 infants (36.5%) and the most common type of generalized seizure was in 47 infants (75%). Brain MRI was abnormal in 19 neonates (30%). Based on the MRI results, there was a change in therapeutic interventions (brain surgery) in four infants (6.3%) and in diagnostic interventions (metabolic tests) in 19 infants (30%). Abnormal brain MRI was more frequent in neonates by cesarean section (46%) than normal vaginal delivery (19%), (p= 0.01) and also neonates with partial seizure (37.5%) had an abnormal MRI than generalized seizure (21%), (p= 0.03). Mean of hospitalization days was longer in neonates with abnormal brain MRI (12.32±2.76 days) than neonates with normal MRI (8.57±2.82 days) (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, brain MRI might be useful in finding intracranial pathology that causes seizure in neonates by cesarean section to detect birth asphyxia and in newborns with partial seizure.

Borderline oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage among healthcare workers at neonatal intensive care unit and paediatric ward

During a meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contact tracing and screening investigation, two borderline oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (BORSA)-positive screening cultures were encountered among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) healthcare workers (HCWs). This finding led to further investigations. To assess the likelihood of an outbreak with direct transmission among HCWs. An infection control team was initiated after the discovery. The team initiated additional infection control measures and evaluated new findings. All NICUs and paediatric ward HCWs were screened for BORSA carriage, and a prospective BORSA seven-week monitoring period for patients was observed. To assess the likelihood of an outbreak with direct transmission among HCWs, the BORSA isolates were analysed using augmented fragment length polymorphism and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Positive HCWs were prohibited from clinical work while awaiting the results from the screening programme. In all, 127 NICU and 77 general paediatric ward HCWs were screened for BORSA carriage; five HCWs were BORSA positive. Seventy-two patients were screened during the seven-week period yielding a total of 138 cultures, ranging from one to nine cultures per patient. No spread from HCWs to patients occurred, and the BORSA screening programme was discontinued. WGS analysis with core genome multi-locus sequence typing of all five BORSA strains showed relatedness between two NICU strains. During a seven-week period, no transmission from BORSA-positive HCWs to neonates was observed in either screening or clinical cultures. More vigilance and experience is needed to design adequate evidence-based interventions in the future for this vulnerable population.

Use of an Aortic Valve Replacement Simulation Model to Understand Hospital Costs and Resource Utilization Associated With Rapid-deployment Valves

PurposeAortic stenosis (AS) is the most common cause of adult valvular heart disease. In the past decade, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to treat AS has gained popularity, especially if performed in combination with rapid deployment valves (RDVs), which shorten cross-clamp time (XCT). This study examines specific outcomes and related costs of aortic valve replacement (AVR) before and after the introduction of RDVs. MethodsWe used the AVR simulator, an economic model developed to correlate cost and resource utilization associated with the adoption of RDVs, to compare 2 scenarios: (1) a current scenario based on standard AVR practices and (2) a proposed scenario based on increasing use of RDVs and an MIS approach. Both scenarios involved 3 subgroups of patients treated with (1) conventional AVR, (2) MIS, and (3) AVR combined with a coronary artery bypass graft. The current scenario (status quo) involved patients treated with traditional biological valves, and the proposed scenario involved patients who underwent implantation with an RDV. The AVR simulator was fed with real-world input data to estimate complication rates and resource consumption in the proposed scenario. Real-world input data for this analysis were obtained from patients diagnosed with a symptomatic heart valve disease between 2015 and 2018, at Clinica-San-Gaudenzio, Novara, Italy. Lastly, the AVR simulator estimated hospital savings by comparing the 2 scenarios. FindingsA total of 132 patients underwent implantation with a traditional biological valve, and 107 were treated with a commercial valve system. The RDV was associated with an increase of 52% of patients undergoing MIS, which generated a 6.1-h reduction of XCT and a total savings of €6695. RDVs also reduced intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital ward length of stay (LOS), leading to savings of €677 and €595 per patient, respectively. Mortality and blood transfusions also improved. The savings for the hospital (related to shorter XCT, hospital ward LOS, and ICU LOS) amounted to €144.111. Our findings were consistent with data gathered from our real-word setting, and results of a sensitivity analysis indicate that our findings were robust across different possible situations. ImplicationsSwitching to RDVs and MIS procedures for AVRs was associated with a reduction of costs related to XCT, hospital ward LOS, and ICU LOS. Hospitals can upload literature- and experience-based clinical and cost values to the AVR simulator to estimate a hospital's performance with the introduction of RDVs compared with standard biological valves. This study was not randomized, so more extensive studies could confirm our results in the future.

Epidemiologic profile of nosocomial infections among paediatric patients in a referral hospital in Hamadan, west of Iran

Healthcare-associated infections (HC-AI) are major health problem with high financial impact. HC-AIs are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in paediatric hospitals. This study was performed to determine the epidemiology of HC-AIs in children admitted to medical wards of Besat Hospital in Hamadan, west of Iran. Data on cases of HC-AIs in paediatrics were collected from March 2017 to February 2018 in Besat Hospital. The medical records of eligible cases were extracted from Iranian Nosocomial Infections Surveillance Software. During the study period, a total of 355 HC-AIs in children were detected, 213 (60%) in boys and 214 (60.3%) in the 0–4-year age group. Of these, bloodstream infection was the most frequent infection in both age groups (37.38% in 0–4 years and 34.75% in 5–14 years). Escherichia coli was the common detected microorganism in girls (25.84% in those aged 0–4 years and 24.53% in 5–14 years), whereas Staphylococcus was more prevalent in boys (33.6% in those aged 0–4 years and 29.55% in 5–14 years). HC-AIs were more prevalent in burn, haematology and intensive care unit wards. In Besat Hospital, bloodstream infection and urinary tract infection were the most frequent infections among paediatric patients, and E. coli and Staphylococcus were the commonest detected microorganism in girls and boys respectively. Preventive activities should be targeted to reduce the rate of HC-AIs in wards associated with more contamination.

Clinical and epidemiological profile of neurocysticercosis in children

Background: This study was done to describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of neurocysticercosis in children of Rohilkhand region.Methods: The study was carried out in the Paediatric Department (Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and General Ward) of Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. It was a prospective clinical observational study. After IEC approval and written informed consent, all children between the age group of one month to sixteen years, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, that is, presented with unprovoked seizure and had evidence of active and ring enhancing lesion or mixed lesion on CT Scan/MRI of brain were enrolled in the study. Detailed history and clinical examination were carried out. Seizures due to any other CNS pathology were excluded. Simple tests for measures of dispersion were the statistical tests that were used.Results: Statistically forty children fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of the total children enrolled in the study, 63% were males. Male to female ratio was 1.7. Almost three fourths of the population belonged to rural backgrounds. The mean age of studied children was 10.5 years. More than half of the affected children belonged to the school going age group. Generalised tonic clonic seizures were more common in all age groups than partial seizures. Headache (52.6%), loss of consciousness (42.1%), vomiting (31.5%) and focal neurological deficit (15.7%) were the most common presenting complaints in order of decreasing frequency.Conclusions: There should be a high index of suspicion of NCC in any child presenting with unprovoked seizures.

Effect of the Meteorological Parameters on the Indoor PM2.5 and PM10 Concentrations in a Hospital

Exposure to the particulate matter is related to a variety of acute and chronic health effects. Also, it is an important factor in the indoor air quality in hospitals. The present study aimed to determine the effect of meteorological parameters on the indoor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in the operation room, pediatric, and intensive care unit wards in the hospital in Kashan, Iran. The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were measured at two indoor sites and one outdoor site in each one of the wards from March to May 2015. Also, the wind rose was drawn for determining the Prevailing wind. The mean indoor and outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations increased during the study period. The results obtained of wind rose showed that the prevailing wind (4.5% of the entire winds) was the direction of the west-southwest. Also, the highest mean outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were related to the ambient wind directions of the east-northeast, the west, and the north-northwest in the operation room, pediatric and intensive care unit wards, respectively. According to the findings, there was a positive association between the indoor and outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in the wards. Also, the meteorological parameters played an important role in the indoor particle mass concentrations in the study wards in the hospital. The effective meteorological parameters on the particle concentrations were the ambient temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and rainfall in the hospital. It is asking for improving the indoor air quality of managers and officials to protect the patients and staff against transferred diseases by the particles in the wards in the hospital.

Molecular Epidemiology of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii Complex Isolated From Children at the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez.

The Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (Acb) complex is regarded as a group of phenotypically indistinguishable opportunistic pathogens responsible for mainly causing hospital-acquired pneumonia and bacteremia. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of isolation of the species that constitute the Acb complex, as well as their susceptibility to antibiotics, and their distribution at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez (HIMFG). A total of 88 strains previously identified by Vitek 2®, 40 as Acinetobacter baumannii and 48 as Acb complex were isolated from 52 children from 07, January 2015 to 28, September 2017. A. baumannii accounted for 89.77% (79/88) of the strains; Acinetobacter pittii, 6.82% (6/88); and Acinetobacter nosocomialis, 3.40% (3/88). Most strains were recovered mainly from patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency wards. Blood cultures (BC) provided 44.32% (39/88) of strains. The 13.63% (12/88) of strains were associated with primary bacteremia, 3.4% (3/88) with secondary bacteremia, and 2.3% (2/88) with pneumonia. In addition, 44.32% (39/88) were multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains and, 11.36% (10/88) were extensively drug-resistant (XDR). All strains amplified the blaOXA-51 gene; 51.13% (45/88), the blaOXA-23 gene; 4.54% (4/88), the blaOXA-24 gene; and 2.27% (2/88), the blaOXA-58 gene. Plasmid profiles showed that the strains had 1–6 plasmids. The strains were distributed in 52 pulsotypes, and 24 showed identical restriction patterns, with a correlation coefficient of 1.0. Notably, some strains with the same pulsotype were isolated from different patients, wards, or years, suggesting the persistence of more than one clone. Twenty-seven sequence types (STs) were determined for the strains based on a Pasteur multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme using massive sequencing; the most prevalent was ST 156 (27.27%, 24/88). The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas I-Fb system provided amplification in A. baumannii and A. pittii strains (22.73%, 20/88). This study identified an increased number of MDR strains and the relationship among strains through molecular typing. The data suggest that more than one strain could be causing an infection in some patient. The implementation of molecular epidemiology allowed the characterization of a set of strains and identification of different attributes associated with its distribution in a specific environment.

BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO NURSES' SLEEP PROMOTION PRACTICES IN THE POST-CARDIAC SURGERY INPATIENT POPULATION: A THEORETICAL DOMAINS FRAMEWORK GUIDED SURVEY STUDY

Poor sleep is common among post-cardiac surgery inpatients. Cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) and cardiac ward nurses are well positioned to ensure that adequate sleep is promoted and sleep disturbing factors are lessened. However, little is known about the sleep promotion practices used by nurses and the factors influencing their use in post-cardiac surgery inpatients. Our purpose was to determine: (1) the type and extent of sleep promotion practices used by cardiac nurses, (2) the barriers and facilitators influencing their use, and (3) whether there is a difference between the CSICU and ward settings.