Categories Of Healthcare Workers Research Articles

Adherence to Contact Precautions Among Different Categories of Healthcare Workers Through Video Monitoring in a Tertiary Hospital Facility

Adherence to Contact Precautions Among Different Categories of Healthcare Workers Through Video Monitoring in a Tertiary Hospital Facility

Behavioral determinants of hand hygiene compliance among physicians in Riyadh region in Saudi Arabia

Background/aims Hand hygiene is recognized globally as a leading measure to reduce healthcare-associated infection. However, compliance with hand hygiene is unacceptably low. Physicians − in particular − have repeatedly been observed to be poor compliers. Promotion of this important practice is a complex issue. It is important to study the behavioral determinants in relation to hand hygiene practices to develop effective improvement strategies. The aims of our study are to assess the knowledge of the physician and their attitudes and practices of hand hygiene, to identify the behavioral determinants of noncompliance, and to recommend interventions that could increase the practice. Participants and methods An anonymous questionnaire was administered that included four sections: participants’ demographic data, self-reported compliance on the basis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, attitudes in relation to the studied behavior adapted from a validated published questionnaire, and the knowledge assessment section chosen from the WHO questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed by infection control practitioners at King Saud Medical City − a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia − and self-completed by 127 physicians of different specialties during March–May 2015. Results The response rate was 75%. The mean self-reported compliance rate was 89.4%. A multiple linear regression analysis was carried out on the studied variables that identified three main predictors most likely to be correlated with hand hygiene behavior noncompliance: self-efficacy (β=0.252; P=0.004), time-related attitude (β=0.16), and usefulness-related attitude (β=0.148). Conclusion Understanding the determinants of a fundamental behavior such as hand hygiene in healthcare settings is among the essential steps to plan more effectual intervention strategies for compliance improvement. Contributions from behavioral and social sciences are crucial when designing studies to investigate and improve behavior acquiescence. The healthcare system is complex and more studies are needed to elaborate specific behavioral determinants in relation to the practice of hand hygiene in other variable work situations and among different healthcare workers categories and employee belong to different culture group.

Methicillin and mupirocin resistance in nasal colonizers coagulase-negative Staphylococcus among health care workers

<br><b>Objective:</b> Coagulase-negative <i>Staphylococcus</i> (CoNS) is a harmless commensal flora of human body but may cause infections related to medical device implant, blood stream infections, and infections of newborns. Health care workers (HCWs) colonizing methicillin-resistant CoNS (MRCoNS) may help in transmission of the microorganism and thus leads to the development of infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of methicillin and mupirocin resistance in CoNS as nasal colonizer among HCWs and its antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. <br><b>Materials and Methods:</b> Nasal swabs collected from 210 HCWs of various categories such as doctor, nurse, nursing student, nursing orderlies, technician, and others working in the hospital were taken in equal representation. Methicillin resistance among the CoNS isolates was identified using cefoxitin 30 μg disc. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolates was also determined for several antibiotics. Mupirocin resistance was determined by epsilometer test using E-strip. <br><b>Results:</b> Of 210 nonduplicate nasal swabs collected from HCWs, 69 (32.8%) CoNS, and 16 (7.6%) MRCoNS isolates were obtained. A higher carrier rate of CoNS was found among nursing students (53%) with 50% MRCoNS as compared to other categories of HCWs. MRCoNS strains were significantly associated (<i>P</i> < 0.05) with resistance to most of the antibiotics with 100% resistance to penicillin and a higher resistance to rifampin (88%), clindamycin (69%), septran (63%), and erythromycin (56%). All CoNS isolates were uniformly susceptible to linezolid. Mupirocin resistance detected using E-strip showed 3 (1.4%) MRCoNS isolates had high-level resistance. <br><b>Conclusion:</b> MRCoNS showed a significant association of resistance to other antibiotics, thus methicillin and mupirocin resistance in CoNS must be detected in HCWs as a routine protocol of hospital infection control policy to limit nosocomial infections.

Carriage of Multidrug Resistant Bacteria on Frequently Contacted Surfaces and Hands of Health Care Workers.

Maximal contact between the patients and Health Care Workers (HCWs) happens in the Intensive Care Units (ICU). Control of nosocomial infections requires compliance with hand hygiene and contamination free surfaces. To determine the colonization of potential pathogens in the hands of HCWs and frequent contacted environmental surfaces. A cross sectional study was conducted between September 2012 and May 2013 at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital. A total of 327 samples were collected using Glove juice technique from hands and swabs from frequently contacted surfaces. A sum of 157 samples were collected by glove juice technique from the hands of HCWs which included Consultants (20), Internees (3), Residents (10), Staff nurse (102) and support staff (22). A total of 170 samples were collected through swabbing which included frequently touched surfaces of apron and dress (140 which included 10 consultants, 3 internees, 9 Residents, 101 Staff nurse and 17 support staff), 9 door handle, 4 key board, 12 tap handles and 5 monitors. The samples were inoculated into Blood agar, Chocolate agar and Mac-Conkey agar plates and incubated at 37(0)C aerobically. The plates showing growth were further processed to identify the organisms by Gram staining and biochemical reactions. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done for the isolates by Kirby-baur disc diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines. Out of the 157 hand sampling done by glove juice method 67(42.7%) of them showed growth and 90(57.3%) showed no growth. The potential pathogens grown were 13 (8.3%), consisting of Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) 6(3.8%), Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) 2(1.3%), Pseudomonas spp 4(2.6%) and Acenitobacter spp 1 (0.6%). The MRSA was seen in Consultant 1(5%; n=20) and Staff nurse 1(0.9%; n= 102). Among the 140 sampling from the dress of HCWs growth was observed in 69(49.3%) and growth was absent in 71(50.7%). The potential pathogens observed were 14(10%) and they are MSSA 5(3.6%), MRSA 1 (0.7%), Pseudomonas spp 2(1.4%), Acenitobacter spp 3(2.1%) Enterobacter spp 1(0.7%), Klebseilla pneumoniae 1(0.7%) and Candida spp 1(0.7%). One MRSA was isolated from staff nurse (0.9%; n=101). Similarly multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae 1(0.9%; n=102). Out of the 30 environmental samples 16(53.3%) showed growth and in 14(56.7%) growth was absent. The potential pathogens isolated were 3(10%) which included MSSA 2(6.6%) and MRSA 1(3.4%) and were isolated from the monitor. Adherence to infection control practices among all categories of HCWs is must for control of HAI. Glove juice method is a simple, easy and practical technique for determination of colonization of hands of HCWs and can be adapted as a methodology for screening the hands of HCWs.

Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Professional Development Activity to Enhance Communication Skills Based on Calgary Cambridge Model

Communication skills are essential for all categories of health care workers. The Calgary Cambridge Model of communication is accepted as a doctor patient communication model in Europe and Canada. It has world-wide recognition and is now used as a model for teaching communication in disciplines like nursing and veterinary science. Since the value of an interdisciplinary approach in continuous professional development has been recognised and all categories of health care professionals face similar challenges with regards to communication with patients an educational activity was developed to facilitate the learning of communication skills as a multidisciplinary team. Feedback on this program was accessed by means of observations, questionnaire and focus group discussions. Results revealed that there was positive feedback on this approach as a means of communications skills training.

A study of assessment of patient safety climate in tertiary care hospitals

BackgroundMedical errors are being detected with increasing frequency in healthcare environment, in many cases leading to patient harm. Measurement and improvement of patient safety climate has been identified as a strategic effort towards addressing this vital issue. MethodSafety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ), validated by previous research was administered to 300 respondents in three tertiary care hospitals of India, the respondents representing various categories of healthcare workers and variations in safety scale score was analyzed by various statistical tools. ResultsNo variation was observed in the Patient Safety Index score among the study hospitals. However, significant variations were observed among different categories of healthcare workers across dimensions of Teamwork, Perception of Management and Stress Recognition. Multiple Regression models identified Teamwork and Perception of Management to have significant correlation with Patient Safety Index Score. ConclusionPatient Safety Climate can be effectively assessed and such assessment utilized for focused improvement efforts towards safety in healthcare organizations.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting by Different Categories of Healthcare Workers in Nnewi, Nigeria: Awareness, Knowledge and Attitudes

Aim: To determine the level of awareness, knowledge and attitudes among health workers in different settings of health care in Nnewi , Nigeria towards the reporting of adverse drug reactions ( ADRs ) . M ethods: A descriptive cro ss - sectional study of 372 health workers in different health facilities in Nnewi North LGA of Anambra state , Nigeria was done. The participants were doctors, pharmacists and nurses , selected using multistage sampling technique. Data collect ion employed pre tested, self - administered structured questionnaire s. Data was analysed using statistical package for social Original Research Article

A Study of the Awareness Levels of Universal Precautions in High-risk Areas of a Super-specialty Tertiary Care Hospital

ABSTRACT Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), Atlanta, in 1987, defined universal precautions and recommended that blood and body fluid precautions be consistently used for all patients. Although universal precautions have been in existence for a long period of time and the risk of transmission of blood borne infections to healthcare workers (HCWs) is very real, the awareness levels among HCWs to these precautions is still far from satisfactory. This study was conceived to study the knowledge of universal precautions in high-risk areas of a super-specialty tertiary care hospital in India among different categories of HCWs. A pretested structured questionnaire common to all the categories of HCWs was used to study the awareness levels of universal precautions. Each question was assigned a unit score. Seventy-five percent score in the questionnaire was taken as cut-off for adequate knowledge. The findings of the study reveal that the HCWs who had adequate knowledge of universal precautions were 29 (30%) out of 96 HCWs. These included 17 (53%) doctors, 8 (36%) nurses, 3 (31%) technical staffs and 1 (5%) housekeeping staff. How to cite this article Lathwal A, Arya SK, Singh IB, Ahlawat R, Jain K. A Study of the Awareness Levels of Universal Precautions in High-risk Areas of a Super-specialty Tertiary Care Hospital. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2015;3(2):98-102.

Healthcare workers' challenges in the implementation of tuberculosis infection prevention and control measures in Mozambique.

ObjectiveHealthcare Workers (HCWs) have a higher frequency of TB exposure than the general population and have therefore an occupational TB risk that infection prevention and control (IPC) measures aim to reduce. HCWs are crucial in the implementation of these measures. The objective of the study was to investigate Mozambican HCWs' perceptions of their occupational TB risk and the measures they report using to reduce this risk. In addition, we explored the challenges HCWs encounter while using these TBIPC measures.MethodsFocus group discussion. Analysis according content method.ParticipantsFour categories of HCWs: auxiliary workers, medical (doctors and clinical officers), nurses and TB program staff.ResultsHCWs are aware of their occupational TB risk and use various measures to reduce their risk of infection. HCWs find it challenging to employ measures that minimize such risks and a lack of clear guidelines contributes to these challenges. HCWs' and patient behavior further complicate the use of TBIPC measures.ConclusionHCWs in Mozambique perceive a high occupational risk of TB infection. They report several challenges using measures to reduce this risk such as shortage of material, lack of clear guidelines, insufficient motivation and inadequate training. Robust training with motivational approaches, alongside supervision and support for HCWs could improve implementation of TBIPC measures. Healthcare management should address the areas for improvement that are beyond the individual HCW's control.

Are we afraid to use regulatory and policy levers more aggressively to optimize patient safety?

Context Healthcare is a very labour-intensive process. The performance, individually and collectively, of a diverse array of healthcare workers has profound implications for the safety of care provided to patients and clients. It is worthwhile to consider how effectively we have used regulatory and policy levers over the past 10 years to assure optimally safe performance by the entire healthcare workforce. In any consideration of human performance, it is important to differentiate between human capacity to perform at a high level and the consistency of actual human actions on a day-today basis. It is important to remain ever mindful of the factors that influence performance capacity and those that influence workplace actions. In 1990, George Miller published in Academic Medicine, an article that described four facets of professional expertise and visually depicted these facets as layers of a pyramid (Miller 1990). In Miller’s Pyramid, “knows” forms the base, followed sequentially by “knows how,” “shows how” and “does.” Although Miller applied this construct to professionals, I believe it is applicable to all workers. Patient safety is compromised when there is a gap between worker capacity to perform safely (know how) and actual worker performance (does). Both regulatory and policy levers can narrow that gap if they are applied effectively. Historically, we have applied regulatory and policy levers quite differently to professional workers as opposed to non-professional workers. We have also applied these levers differently to healthcare system employees as opposed to workers who hold independent contractor status in the system. I will explore some of the implications of our differential application of regulatory and policy levers to different categories of healthcare workers. I will also issue a challenge to reconsider how such levers might be used more effectively in the future to enhance patient safety in Canada.

Risk of tuberculosis among healthcare workers in an intermediate-burden country: A nationwide population study

The potential association between healthcare workers (HCWs) and the risk of clinically active tuberculosis (TB) in countries with intermediate TB burdens remains unclear. A nationwide, population-based cohort study was performed by using Taiwan National Health Insurance Database during 2000-2010. We included HCWs and non-HCWs without history of tuberculosis matched at a 1:1 ratio according to age, sex, monthly income, underlying comorbidities, and concomitant medications. All subjects were followed from the date of enrollment until TB occurrence, death, or 31 December 2010. The study population comprised 11,811 healthcare workers and 11,811 matched subjects. 62 HCWs and 38 control subjects developed TB during a median follow-up period of 9.4 years. The incidence of TB was higher among HCWs than among matched subjects (61.08 vs. 37.81 per 100,000 person-years). The risk of TB was also greater among HCWs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.43), particularly for pulmonary TB in comparison with extrapulmonary TB (aHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.02-2.39). Among different job categories of HCWs, we found that only nurses had a significantly increased risk of developing TB (aHR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.37-4.72) compared to the matched cohort. HCWs are associated independently with a higher risk of developing TB in this intermediate-burden country. Therefore, the importance of TB surveillance among HCWs should be emphasized.

Hepatitis B vaccination is not yet a reality in supportive health care workers

Background: Annual exposure of health care workers (HCWs) to hepatitis B virus infection was estimated world-wide as 5.9%. Hepatitis B though a preventable disease is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Objective: This study was carried out to find out the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among supportive HCWs. Materials and Methods: A total of 115 blood samples were collected from different categories of supportive HCWs, sera were separated, stored at −20°C and tested for HBsAg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Of the 115 HCWs, two were positive for HBsAg. One was female nursing assistant with >20 years experience and the other was male sanitary worker with <20 years experience. Both were above 40 years of age. Conclusion: Proper training of HCWs about universal work precautions, awareness about vaccination, reporting of occupational exposure to health authorities and post-exposure prophylaxis in all health care set ups can be pivotal in preventing health care associated infections.

Are Operating Room Nurses at Higher Risk of Severe Persistent Asthma? The Nurses' Health Study

To assess the associations between operating room (OR) nursing, a category of health care workers at high risk of exposure to various inhaled agents, and asthma severity/control among women with asthma. The level of severity/control in nurses with prevalent doctor-diagnosed asthma in 1998/2000 was compared, using nominal logistic regression, in OR nursing (n = 69) and administrative nursing (n = 546) from the US Nurses' Health Study for whom detailed information on asthma and nursing employment status was available. We observed a significant association between OR nursing, compared with administrative nursing, and severe persistent asthma (adjusted odds ratio, 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 5.77). Our findings suggest that nurses working in the OR are at a higher risk of severe persistent asthma. Further studies with detailed estimates of occupational exposures, especially to disinfectant/cleaning agents, are warranted.

Acceptance of H1N1 vaccine among healthcare workers at primary healthcare centres in Abha, KSA

One of the major concerns related to the pandemic outbreak of H1N1 influenza in 2009 was the cost burden on medical resources, which led to a negative impact on mortality and morbidity. This situation placed healthcare workers (HCWs) in an unusual position of being both the main actors and one of the main targets of the prevention strategies against the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1). The aim of the study was to find out and compare the acceptance of H1N1 vaccine among different categories of primary HCWs in primary healthcare centres in Abha as well as to explore the reasons among them for not accepting the HINI vaccine. A cross-sectional study was conducted including all HCWs serving at primary healthcare centres in Abha. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used to collect data reflecting the intake of H1N1 vaccine and its association with other parameters that may influence the uptake of this vaccine. The overall response rate was 347/402 (86.3%). The age of the participants ranged between 22 and 59 years with a mean of 34.9 years and SD of 8.4 years. The percentage of physicians, nurses and technicians who took the H1N1 vaccination was 32.6, 28 and 10%, respectively. The overall vaccine intake rate was 28.2%. The main reasons given by HCWs for being immunized were personal protection (51%), fear of transmitting disease to their family and relatives (49%) and fear of transmitting the disease to their patients (43.9%). The main reasons given by HCWs for rejecting H1N1 vaccination were fear of side effects (70.3%) and doubts regarding the safety of the vaccine (68.3%). In general, knowledge about H1N1 was insufficient. However, it was better among physicians than among nurses and technicians. The low rate of acceptance of the pandemic vaccine and the insufficient level of knowledge about the H1N1 virus among Saudi HCWs were alarming given that they were considered models for patients and the public.

Knowledge of diabetes mellitus in tuberculosis amongst healthcare workers in Nigeria

Background:There is a World Diabetes Foundation funded research on detection of diabetes mellitus (DM) in tuberculosis (TB) which is currently being carried out in 56 TB centers in Lagos State Nigeria and against this background, we decided to evaluate the knowledge of DM and (TB) amongst the health workers from these facilities.Materials and Methods:We employed the use of self-administered questionnaires comprising questions to determine participant's knowledge on risk factors, clinical presentation and complications of DM, diagnosis, management of DM, and presentation and management of TB. We documented and also compared responses that differed in a statistically significant manner amongst the various cadres of health worker and the three tiers of healthcare facilities.Results:A total of 263 health care workers responded, out of which medical doctors constituted 72 (27.4%) while nurses and other categories of health care workers constituted 191 (72.6%). All the respondents knew that TB is a communicable disease and a large majority– 86% knew that DM is a chronic disorder that as of now has no cure. One hundred and eighty one (71%) respondents gave a correct response of a fasting plasma glucose level of 9mmol/L, which is in the range for diagnosis of DM. About a third-90-of the health workers, however, stated that DM may be diagnosed solely on clinical symptoms of DM. However, 104 (46%) of the Study participants stated that urine may be employed for objectively diagnosing DM. All respondents had hitherto not had patients with TB who had been routinely screened for DM. There was insufficient knowledge on the non-pharmacological management with over half of the respondents, irrespective ofstatus, maintained that all persons diagnosed with DM should be made to lose weight and carbohydrate should make up less than 30% of the component of their meals.Conclusion:There remains largely inadequate knowledge on diagnosing and non-pharmacological management of DM among the health workers in our TB facilities.

Monitoring Hand Hygiene via Human Observers: How Should We Be Sampling?

To explore how hand hygiene observer scheduling influences the number of events and unique individuals observed. We deployed a mobile sensor network to capture detailed movement data for 6 categories of healthcare workers over a 2-week period. University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic medical intensive care unit (ICU). We recorded 33,721 time-stamped healthcare worker entries to and exits from patient rooms and considered each entry or exit to be an opportunity for hand hygiene. Architectural drawings were used to derive 4 optimal line-of-sight placements for observers. We ran simulations for different observer movement schedules, all with a budget of 1 hour of total observation time. We considered observation times of 1-15, 15-30, 30, and 60 minutes per station. We stochastically generated healthcare worker hand hygiene compliance on the basis of all data and recorded the total unit compliance as it would be reported by each simulated observer. Considering a 60-minute total observation period, aggregate simulated observers captured 1.7% of the average total number of opportunities per day at best and 0.5% at worst. The 1-15-minute schedule captures, on average, 16% fewer events than does the 60-minute (ie, static) schedule, but it samples 17% more unique individuals. The 1-15-minute schedule also provides the best estimator of compliance for the duration of the shift, with a mean standard deviation of 17%, compared with 23% for the 60-minute schedule. Our results show that observations are sensitive to different observers' schedules and suggest the importance of using data-driven approaches to schedule hand hygiene audits.

Knowledge of tuberculosis-treatment prescription of health workers: a systematic review

Treating tuberculosis (TB) patients with inappropriate treatment regimens can lead to treatment failure and, thus, patients who have not been cured and/or to the development of (multi)-drug resistance. A systematic review was performed to assess the knowledge of appropriate TB drug regimens among all categories of healthcare workers (HCWs).In January 2011, MEDLINE, EMBASE and other databases were searched for relevant articles. Observational studies published as of the year 2000 that assessed HCW knowledge of TB treatment were selected. A treatment regimen, drug dosage or treatment duration was considered inappropriate if it was not recommended by national guidelines or by the World Health Organization (WHO).Of 1,896 studies, 31 were included from 14 different countries. No study was performed in Europe. In all studies, HCWs with inappropriate knowledge of treatment regimens (8–100%) or treatment duration (5–99%) were observed. The few studies providing detailed data showed that HCWs mainly reported giving treatment regimens with too many drugs and for too long. Knowledge of appropriate doses was also insufficient in most studies.The available studies show that there is a lack of knowledge of national or international TB treatment guidelines and recommendations. Generalisation of the findings to other settings and countries should be done with caution.

Needle stick injury and HIV risk among health care workers in North India

To determine the occurrence of needle stick injuries among various categories of health care workers (HCWs), the causal factors, and the circumstances under which these occur. 2. To explore the possibilities of measures to prevent these through improvement in knowledge, attitude, and practice. The study was conducted in two government tertiary level hospitals. Study sample comprised 107 HCWs, providing medical care in two government tertiary level hospitals of Chandigarh. Subjects were enquired about their exposure to needle prick injuries during patient management in the last 6 months and also the action taken following exposure. The statistical tools employed were: ratio, proportions, and other basic methods of data interpretation. The study among 107 HCWs included 27 doctors (25.2%), 68 nurses (63.5%), and 12 paramedics (11.2%), with 87 (81.3%) being females. The prevalence of needle stick injury and exposure to blood was reported by 73 (68.2%) participants. The main factor ascribed for this exposure was heavy patient load (42.5%). The maximum accidents occurred during emergency care (30.1%). Most common action following exposure was cleaning with spirit (46.3%). Only 51 (47.7%) of HCWs admitted following universal precautions. Among those exposed, only 10 (13.7%) persons had undergone HIV testing. Two-thirds of HCWs were exposed to needle stick injuries. Lack of awareness about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was found.

Quality of life of three health care workers categories in a hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil

ABSTRACTObjective: investigate the quality of life of three health care workers in a philanthropic Hospital in Minas Gerais. Method: this is about a descriptive study, from transversal design (n=27) with nurses, doctors and physiotherapists whom work in a philanthropic Hospital in Minas Gerais. The valid and reliable Portuguese WHOQOL-bref version was used as a tool to measure quality of life. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Brazil with protocol number 1662.0.000.213-0. Results: dichotomization of all WHOQoL scores based on respective medians showed that most of professionals had partial scores under it: Physic (55.6%), Psychology (63.0%), Social (74.1%) and Environmental (70.4%). Conclusions: measurement of health care workers’ quality of life suggests low quality of life among them, however due descriptive study design it was not possible to consider none comparison among the three health care worker’s categories. Descriptors: quality if life; professional practice; intensive care units.RESUMOObjetivo: investigar a qualidade de vida de três categorias profissionais da saúde de um hospital filantrópico de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil. Método: trata-se de estudo transversal descritivo (n=27) com enfermeiros, médicos e fisioterapeutas de um Hospital Filantrópico no interior de Minas Gerais. O instrumento utilizado para mensurar a qualidade de vida foi o World Health Organization Quality Of Life na sua versão abreviada traduzida e validada para o português, mediante a aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais sob o Certificado de Apresentação para Apreciação Ética (CAAE) – 1662.0.000.213-0. Resultados: a dicotomização dos escores do WHOQoL feitas pelas respectivas medianas mostrou que a maioria dos profissionais apresentou escore parcial abaixo da mediana, Físico (55,6%), Psicológico (63,0%), Social (74,1%) e Ambiental (70,4%). Conclusão: a mensuração da qualidade de vida dos profissionais de saúde entrevistados sugere uma baixa qualidade de vida dos mesmos, no entanto devido ao caráter descritivo do estudo nao foi possivel realizar nenhum tipo de comparação entre as três categorias profissionais. Descritores: qualidade de vida; pratica profissional; unidades de terapia intensiva.RESUMENObjetivo: investigar la calidad de vida de las tres categorías de profesionales de la salud de un hospital filantrópico de Minas Gerais. Método: estudio descriptivo transversal (n=27) con las enfermeras, médicos y terapeutas en un hospital de beneficencia en el estado de Minas Gerais. El instrumento utilizado para medir la calidad de vida era la de la Organización Mundial de la Salud la calidad de vida en su versión abreviada traducido y validado por los portugueses. El estudio fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética de la Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais con el numero de protocolo 1662.0.000.213-0. Resultados: La dicotomía de la WHOQOL realizados por sus medianas mostraron que la mayoría de los profesionales tenían una puntuación parcial por debajo de la mediana, físico (55,6%), psicológico (63,0%), sociales (74,1%) y Medio Ambiente (70,4%). Conclusión: La medición de la calidad de vida de los profesionales de la salud sugiere una menor calidad de vida para nosotros mismos, sin embargo debido a la naturaleza descriptiva de este estudio no fue posible hacer una comparación entre las tres categorías profesionales. Descriptores: calidad de vida, práctica profesional; unidades de terapia intensiva.

Epidemiology of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) Nasal Colonization Among Patients and Healthcare Workers in a Portuguese Hospital: A Pre-intervention Study Toward the Control of MRSA

This two-year study investigated the epidemiology of nasal colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) in two wards with a high frequency of MRSA isolation, at Hospital Geral de Santo António (HGSA), Portugal. Three point-prevalence surveys per year were carried out. A case-control approach was used to identify potential risk factors associated with MRSA carriage among patients. Incidence rates and risk factors of MRSA carriage among HCWs who were negative at the baseline observation were estimated. Prevalence of MRSA carriage among 276 patients screened was 5.1%. Admission to HGSA or attendance to the Diabetic Foot Outpatient Unit (DFOU) of HGSA within the past 12 months, and previous MRSA isolation were significant risk factors for MRSA carriage. Among HCWs (n = 126), the prevalence of MRSA carriage was 4.8% and the incidence rate was 61/1000 person-years. Nurses and nurse aids were the HCW categories with the highest risk of becoming colonized with MRSA over time (p = 0.01). One HCW chronically colonized was detected. Molecular typing revealed a clonal identity for isolates recovered from patients and HCWs of the same wards, with 88.6% of isolates belonging to the EMRSA-15 (ST22-MRSA-IV) clone.