Chances Of Cross-infection Research Articles

COVID-19 pandemic and the use of tele-health by pediatricians and pediatric post graduate residents

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, burden on healthcare facilities has increased worldwide; which has led to acceptance of the ‘telehealth services’ by the pediatricians. Objective of this study was to determine the impact on frequency of use of tele-health services by pediatricians during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to determine the factors promoting and preventing the use of tele-health services by pediatricians.
 METHODOLOGY: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2020 to January 2021 among the pediatricians of Children Hospital Faisalabad and other affiliated hospitals of Faisalabad Medical University, Pakistan. An e-questionnaire was circulated among 357 pediatricians, which was filled and submitted by 114 pediatricians online. Demographic details and other data were collected and analyzed by SPSS v.20. P-value <0.05 was taken as significant.
 RESULTS: Out of 114 participants, 29(25.4%) paediatricians were already using Telehealth before the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas, 101(88.6%) participants used Telehealth during the pandemic. There was an increase in frequency of telehealth use during the pandemic by 72(63.2%) paediatricians (p-value= 0.037). Most common factor promoting the use of telehealth during pandemic was ‘decreased chance of cross infection and maintenance of social distancing’. Most frequent factor preventing its use was ‘lack of confidence on virtual examination findings’.
 CONCLUSION: Telehealth provided an effective means of practicing social distancing by the paediatricians without any breach in healthcare provision. However, there are a few factors contributing to hesitancy towards it. Therefore, more platforms must be provided and incentives to be given to paediatricians to promote the use of telehealth.

Comparative analysis of defence responses Triticum aestivum L in response to the endophytic Pseudomonas aeruginosa PM389 and the non-host microbial pathogens Erwinia carotovora and Fusarium monaliforme

In the present study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PM389 has been studied for comparing the defense responses in wheat plant against non-host pathogens Fusarium monaliforme and Erwinia caratovora. The comparative studies of defense enzymes produced on pretreatment of plants in the presence and absence of PM389 were also studied. Apart from it, disease incidence as well as plant growth promotion under in vitro and pot condition was recorded in the presence or absence of PM389 on challenging wheat plant with the non-host pathogen. Induction in all defense enzymes was observed on pretreatment of the plant with PM389 before pathogenic challenge with non-host. It was suggested that PM389 can generate induced systemic resistance in plants against pathogens. A less pathogenic population was recorded in the presence of PM389 than in its absence. In addition, it also showed plant growth promotion in the wheat under in vitro and pot studies. It was observed that PM389 was more effective against fungal pathogen than bacterial pathogen in both plant growth promotions as well as in decreasing disease incidence. Thus, PM389 can serve as a potential candidate as biofertilizer and biocontrol agent for non-host pathogens as well as having chances of cross-infection among various crops.

Even After Control of The Disease, Is There A Chance of Cross Infection After A Time Period.

Even After Control of The Disease, Is There A Chance of Cross Infection After A Time Period.

Standard dental operating protocol in COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus belong to a large family of virus called Coronaviridae predominantly affects respiratory system. Virus that cause COVID-19, spreads mainly by droplet infection from oral or nasal secretions. Clinical presentation starts with fever, headache, cough, malaise and gastro- intestinal symptoms. Loss of taste and smell have been reported. Most of the patients recover with milder symptoms, few reported organ dysfunction and death. Dentistry is facing its toughest time with the spread of COVID-19 and the dental practice has been affected significantly in this pandemic. Most dental procedure require close contact with patient’s oral cavity and treatment interventions generate aerosol, chance of cross infection is more in a clinical set up. Dentists and the patients have to follow strict measures to prevent the spread of pandemic. All patients visiting a dental office must be treated with due precautions.

Navigating public transport in era of SARS-CoV-2.

Baluja et al.[1] review the article, COVID-19 pandemic and safety of taxi services in Jan 2021 issue of the Journal, and they are looking beyond primary care. They highlight that how are the cab drivers at a high risk of exposure due to their professional obligation, suggest safety practices to be adopted by them for self-protection, and what should the passengers do to mitigate the risk. In the brief overview of COVID-19, the authors state that the spread of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occurs mainly by aerosol (such as during talking, coughing, sneezing, laughing) and contact (such as by fomites e.g. door handles, surfaces). Here, we want to underscore that now mounting evidence suggests that fomite-borne risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is not supposed to be an important route.[2] As repeated attempts to culture the virus from inanimate surfaces failed, we now conclude that that is an unlikely route of infection transmission. Under a heading, “Safety practices by the drivers for self-protection,” the authors state that they must drive (the cab) with windows open. What we need to realize is that although that is the best option, it may not always be possible when driving due to some urgent work in a cold early morning. Under these circumstances, researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst conducted an assessment of computational fluid dynamics around a specific vehicle- Toyota Prius- moving at a speed of 50 miles per hour.[3] What they found is that when it is is not possible to open all the windows or three of them, and only two occupants are there inside the vehicle, the next best possible option is to open windows at the opposite side of the travelers. By their presumptions under specific preconditions, they show that due to various pressure changes around a moving car, air moves in a specific way and when it tries to enter inside the vehicle, empty space opposite the travelers provides suitable conditions to disperse aerosol generated by either person. This insight should guide us to practice the best strategy to ward off the chances of cross-infection. Then, under the heading, “Care and cleaning of the vehicle for preventing transmission,” the authors write that the air conditioner may be used preferably on the fresh air/recirculation mode. Here, apparently, the authors provide an option for choosing this mode. We want to add that choosing the recirculation mode of an air conditioner in enclosed spaces is fraught with risk as it may carry biological agents to another healthy person from an infected one.[4] Therefore, only fresh air should be allowed inside the space and that is the only choice. Air changes per hour are the defining standard to specify the mitigation strategy used under these circumstances, and higher values indicate better safety protocol.[56] Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Nanoconjugates-Based Stem Cell Therapy for the Management of COVID-19.

A potential ability of stem cells (SCs) is to regenerate and repair tissues in the human body by providing great prospects for therapeutic applications in the field of medicine. Currently, SC therapy is used in various conditions like diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, etc. but faces some limitations like patient biocompatibility and chances of cross-infection. SCs are further modulated with nanoconjugates to overcome such challenges and will offer an advantage in the treatment of COVID-19. This pandemic requires design and development of proper treatment to save the life of human beings. Advancements in SC-based nanoconjugated therapy will open new avenues and create a significant impact in the development of futuristic nanomedicine. It may also emerge as a potential therapy for the management of infection in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 and related diseases such as pneumonia and virus-induced lung injuries. Graphical abstractMechanisms of stem cell-based nanoconjugates for inhibition of replication of corona virus.

Perception of undergraduates enrolled in health science courses from Asmara Eritrea towards Hepatitis B.

Introduction:Hepatitis B (HB) is one of the highly infectious and the most common cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is transmitted through blood and body fluids. Most healthcare related personnel are at very high susceptibility towards this infection from the infected patients.Aims:To evaluate the knowledge and practice towards the hepatitis disease and its cross-infection among dental and medical undergraduate students for the first time ever from Eritrea.Settings and Design:It is a cross-sectional survey conducted in the only institute offering undergraduate courses in the field of health sciences.Materials and Methods:A total of 115 medical and 50 dental undergraduate students from a health science institute situated in Asmara Eritrea filled the form and submitted for evaluation. The questionnaire consisted of the demographic variables such as college of study, year of course, age, gender, apart from questions regarding the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards hepatitis and its transfusion. All the data was transferred to excel and applied statistical test using SPSS software.Statistical Analysis Used:Chi-square test was to test the association between the knowledge and practice variable within the stream of study.Results:The overall knowledge of the undergraduate students was found to be very high when assessed through this survey although practice scores were not satisfactory. When asked, “Do you think you can be affected by Hepatitis?”, in regular practice 33 individual gave incorrect answers.Conclusion:There is no doubt that the overall knowledge of the undergraduate students is found to be very high but practice scores and awareness towards chances of cross-infection is poor which requires further sessions of education and practice-based courses to be planned for the students.

Study the Incidence of Surgical Glove Perforation during Surgery and Evaluation for the Risk of Perforation and Risk of Surgical Site Infection

In a surgical setting there is always a possibility of cross infection between patient and surgeon and surgical gloves act as an important barrier to prevent this infection. Use of double gloves provides more effective barrier for transfer of pathogens from surgical team to patient and vice versa. This study compares the benefit of using double gloves versus single gloves in various departments and its role in preventing Surgical Site Infection (SSI). This study was conducted at Army Hospital (R&R) where surgical gloves used by the operating surgeon were checked for any perforation in outer and inner gloves. In case of perforation was detected, culture of both gloves and surgical part were taken and examined for any cross infection. This study reveals that simultaneous perforation rate of both outer and inner gloves was very less and hence chances of cross infection between patient and surgeon was less when compared to single glove use. Also, the rate of perforation was less in laparoscopic surgery compared to open surgery however this is controversial as various studies which shows more perforation in laparoscopic surgery. The departments where surgeries were complex and were of longer duration had more perforation rate of gloves and consequently SSI. This study concludes that the use of double surgical gloves has got low chances of cross infection between patient and surgeon and hence low rate of Surgical Site Infection and hence should be encouraged.

Evaluation of Aerosol Contamination during Ultrasonic Procedures

Background: Operator safety during dental & periodontal treatment is a non-negotiable necessity. The production of airborne material, during dental procedures is obvious to the dentist, dental team and the patient.
 Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate, the colony forming units (CFU) generated from aerosol during ultrasonic procedure in gingivitis and periodontitis subjects that act as a potential risk factor for spread of infectious agents for both operator and patients.
 Materials and Methods: The present study included 18 subjects which were randomly assigned into 3 equal groups. Group I (Control group) subjects were treated with ultrasonic scaling alone, whereas; Groups II & Group III (Test groups) subjects used pre-procedural mouth-rinses before scaling & root planing (Chlorhexidine and Povidone Iodine). Blood agar plates were used to assess the aerosol contamination and were placed at operator’s eye level, subject’s eye & chest level. These plates were then incubated for 72 hours and microbial growth were quantified as colony forming units (CFU/plate). Different colonies were identified by standard biochemical methods.
 Results: This study showed that the antiseptic mouth-rinses significantly reduce the bacterial CFU in the aerosol. Povidone Iodine was found to be superior to Chlorhexidine when used pre-procedurally.
 Conclusion: The following conclusion was drawn that the use of pre-procedural rinses significantly reduced the aerosol contamination and hence chances of cross-infection in the dental units.

Role of single dose prophylactic antibiotic in elective caesarean section

Background: Maternal morbidity related to infection after caesarean section has been reported to be higher than that of vaginal delivery. The prevention of infection in patients undergoing caesarean section is a major challenge, particularly in hospitals, where there is frequent chance of cross infection due to overcrowding. Objective: The present study was undertaken to see the efficacy of single dose cetriaxone as a prophylaxis in elective caesarean section to prevent postop­erative infection. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 100 patients who underwent elective caesarean section where single dose of Ceftriaxone was used as prophylaxis in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Bang­abandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital, between January to June 2010. The outcomes measures were post­operative febrile morbidity, wound infe-ction and other infections (urinary tract infection, chest infection). Data were analysed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 11.5.Results: Over one-third (38%) patients age group was between 18 -25 years, 56% in between 25 -35 years and 6% were over 35 years old. Nearly half(46%) was anemic (haemoglobin< 11 g/dl) and 16% was obese (BMI?28 kg/m2). All the patients were operated by obstetricians of same level. Three per cent patients developed wound infection, 5% developed other infections like UTI and chest infection and 7% had febrile illness. Among the several factors suspected to be associated with post operative complications, preoperative anaemia, long duration of operation (>60 minutes) and prolonged hospital stay (>1 week) were found to be significantly assocated with postoperative complications.Conclusion: The present study suggests that single dose prophylactic antibiotic ceftriaxone given 1 hour before operation in patients with cesarean section deliveries reduces the chance of postoperative infection to a bare minimum.

Effects of hand hygiene compliance training on infection control in cleaner of burn care unit

Objective To analyze the effects of hand hygiene compliance training and standardization management of cleaner on infection control in burn care unit. Methods From 1st September 2014 to 30th November 2014, nine cleaners in burn care unit accepted system training including workflow, regulations and standard on the basis of routine work. The hand washing compliance and the knowledge of infection control were analyzed before and after training, and we analyzed whether the types of bacteria on cleaner′s hand and the wound bacteria of patients were the same. Results Except Klebsiella pneumoniae, all other bacteria strains were both found in cleaner′ hands and patients′ wounds. After training, the compliance of washing hands before and after operation or contacting patients, or after touching patient′ body fluids were improved(P<0.05). After the training, the hand hygiene timing, importance of hand-washing, six-step hand sanitizer, disinfectant use, pollution items and clean bed standard scores were all higher than those before the training (P<0.01). Conclusions Improving cleaner′ hand hygiene compliance and strengthening standardized training can reduce the chance of cross-infection in burn patients and reduce ICU infection rates. Key words: Burn; Intensive care unit; Infection control; Hand hygiene; Training; Cleaner

Aerosols how dangerous they are in clinical practice.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the microbial atmospheric contamination during initial periodontal treatment using a modern piezoelectric scaler and to evaluate the efficacy of two commercially available mouth rinses (0.2% Chlorhexidine mouth rinse and Listerine) in reducing bacterial contamination when used as a pre-procedural rinse, with and without high volume evacuation (Aerosol reduction device). Subjects for the study were selected from the outpatient Department of Periodontics, Sri Siddhartha Dental College and Hospital, Tumkur, India. Total 60 patients were taken for the study and on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria's they were divided into three groups. The sampling was carried out in two stages before and after implementing a set protocol. Total duration of study was four months. The samples (blood agar plates) were transported immediately to the Department of Microbiology, Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur for: Identification of microorganisms as per standard procedures (Gram stain, Biochemical Test, Species Identification).Counting the number of colonies formed on blood agar plates using colony counter unit. Out of all the three pre-procedural rinses 0.2% w/v Chlorhexidine is the best in reducing aerobic bacteria (CFU) followed by Listerine and then Water. The following conclusion was drawn that the use of pre-procedural rinses along with the use of high volume suction apparatus significantly reduced the aerosol contamination and hence chances of cross-infection in the dental units.

Comparative Assessment of Levels of Total Proteins in Saliva on Control and Diabetic Patients

Abstract Diabetic Patients frequently report for Dental prob-lems; however assessment of their diabetic status thou-gh empirical is quiet challenging. Either patients do not know about their diabetic status or are not willing to get it done due to financial constraints or chances of cross infection. Some of them get it checked but do not report at proper time. Though serum analysis has alwa-ys been a gold standard for diagnosis of various dise-ases, but serum assessment at dental clinic is not pos-sible because of non-existence of such culture. In the recent past assessment of other body fluids such as Saliva as diagnostic tool has gained importance. Aim of this study was thus to assess level of Total Proteins in saliva of control and diabetics and correlate between Total Protein levels and incidence of caries and gin-gival health. Study was conducted on 90 subjects; 30 control and 60 diabetics. Sample was selected on the basis of history, HbA1c levels, serum sugar levels and salivary sugar levels. Un-stimulated whole saliva from diabetics and control group was then collected, stored and freezed at -20°C. Saliva samples were then defros-ted centrifuged and its supernatant portion was analy-zed by Dimension Clinical Chemistry System for Total Proteins. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results showed that salivary Total protein levels were higher for the diseased group when compared with control group and were correlated statistically signifi-cantly with caries and poor gingival health. Key Words: Serum Glucose Level, Salivary Total Protein Level, Diabetes Mellitus, Caries, Gingival Health.

RISK OF CROSS-INFECTION FROM INHALATION ANAESTHETIC EQUIPMENT

The chances of cross-infection are remote from the commensals or non-pathogenic micro-organisms occurring normally on inhalation anaesthesia equipment. The organisms are less likely to be carried over to the patient from a contaminated anaesthetic machine during the usual flow of anaesthetic gases. During breathing and coughing there is little or no risk of infection from remote parts of the anaesthesia apparatus, but the chances of cross-infection are greater from facepiece, metal anglepiece, endotracheal tube connector and catheter mount.