Hospital Room Research Articles

Atrial fibrillation ablation with temperature-controlled very high-power short-duration, with conventional-power, or with combined modes in clinical practice: 12-month outcomes from SECURE

Abstract Background/Introduction QDM is a contact force-sensing catheter optimized for temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation in very high-power short-duration (vHPSD; 90 W/4 s), conventional-power (CP; ≤50 W), or vHPSD/CP combined modes. Purpose Evaluate 12-month (M) safety and effectiveness of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablations performed with 3 different ablation modes using the QDM catheter, a frequently used single tip catheter in Europe. Methods SECURE is an observational, prospective, post-market study collecting data on procedures performed per standard-of-care with up to 12M follow-up, in 16 enrolling sites in 8 countries across Europe and Israel. Index pulmonary vein (PV) isolation procedures are reported here. The primary safety endpoint is the incidence of primary adverse events (PAEs); the primary effectiveness endpoint is PV isolation (entrance block) of targeted PVs. Additional endpoints include acute reconnections, incidence of char and steam pop, 12M recurrence, repeat ablation, and healthcare utilization (HCU). Ablation strategy, impedance drop, and catheter stability were analysed with a cloud-based data management and artificial intelligence-powered algorithm. Results Since Feb 2021, 291 patients (70% male, 61±11 yrs, CHA2DS2-VASc 1.9±1.5) completed 12M follow-up in 11 sites. Most patients (175 [60.1%]) were treated for paroxysmal (PAF), 85 (29.2%) for persistent (PsAF), and 31 (10.7%) for long-standing persistent (LsPsAF) AF, under general anaesthesia (44.0%) or sedation (55.7%). A combined workflow was used in 66.0% of ablations, while vHPSD-only and CP-only were used in 13.4% and 20.6% of cases, respectively. Four (1.4%) patients reported a PAE; all resolved, and none were catheter related. Acute effectiveness was achieved in all targeted veins; 5.0% of PVs had acute reconnections, with the most common being the left superior PV. No steam pops were reported; 2 counts of char were noted in PsAF ablations with combined modes. Freedom from documented recurrence were 95.8% for PAF, 88.1% for PsAF, and 73.5% for LsPsAF (Fig 1). Freedom from repeat ablation post-blanking and freedom from cardioversion were both 96.8%. Cardiovascular hospitalization and emergency room visits decreased by 65.3% and 76.5% from 12M pre- to 12M post-procedure, respectively. Application-level analyses showed larger impedance drop and greater catheter stability with vHPSD. In procedures using a combined workflow, vHPSD was used preferentially for most PV segments, except anteriorly on the left wide area circumferential ablation (Fig 2). Conclusions Real-world data demonstrates that AF ablation with the QDM catheter is safe and effective with a low PAE rate, high 12M effectiveness, and reduced HCU. Most procedures were done with combined modes, where vHPSD was used preferentially, except at left anterior thicker regions. Larger impedance drop and greater catheter stability were observed with vHPSD applications.

In-Depth Analysis of Low-Cost Micro Electromechanical System (MEMS) Accelerometers in the Context of Low Frequencies and Vibration Amplitudes

Shock and vibration hazards to civil structures are common and come not only from earthquakes but most often from mining operations or foundation work involving the installation of piles using hammer-driving and vibrating technology. The purpose of this study is to present test methods for low-cost MEMS accelerometers in terms of their selection for low-amplitude acceleration vibration-prone object-monitoring systems. Tests of 24 commercially available digital accelerometers were carried out on a custom-built test bench, selecting four models for detailed tests conducted on a specially built precision vibration table capable of inflicting accelerations at frequencies of 1–2 Hz, using displacements as small as a few micrometers. The analysis of the results was based, among other things, on a modified method of determining the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and also on the idea of the effective number of bits (ENOB). The results of the analysis showed that among low-cost MEMS accelerometers, there are some that are successfully suitable for the monitoring and warning of excessive vibration hazards in situations where objects are extremely sensitive to such impacts (e.g., treatment rooms in hospitals). Examples of accelerometers capable of detecting harmonic vibrations with amplitudes as small as 10 mm/s2 or impulsive shocks with amplitudes of at least 70 mm/s2 are indicated.

Resuming work roles after injury in a low-income context: Multiple factors influencing the return to work outcomes.

Return to work (RTW) is an important outcome indicator for the effectiveness of rehabilitation services, and the functional status and overall recovery among individuals who have experienced injury. Despite the rising incidence of traumatic injury among economically productive citizens in Ethiopia, there is a paucity of evidence about the RTW status of injury survivors. This study examined factors associated with RTW success and determinants of time to RTW after injury in Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data retrospectively one year after patients arrived at the study setting due to traumatic injuries. Medical records of all patients who visited the emergency room of a large public hospital in Addis Ababa were reviewed. Data were collected from survivors of traumatic injury, interviewed by telephone one year post-injury. Multivariable logistic regression and survival analysis were carried out to explore factors. Of the 251 participants, 75% were young adults (age </ = 39 years), 78% were male, 78% were urban residents, 41% were injured by road traffic collisions, and 59% returned to work within one year. The logistic regression model revealed short inpatient admission (AOR = 4.20; 95% CI: 2.10-8.50; p ≤ 0.001), no disability (AOR = 4.44; 95% CI: 2.10-9.60; p ≤ 0.001), motivation to RTW (AOR = 3.50; 95% CI: 1.61-7.50; p = 0.002), no chronic illness (AOR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.14-4.70; p = 0.020), being in an administrative position (AOR = 5.32; 95% CI: 1.11-25.78; p = 0.038) and receiving injury compensation (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.22-7.73; p = 0.017) as factors for successful RTW within a year after injury. Further, the Cox regression analysis identified immediate access to healthcare after injury (AHR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.05-2.25; p ≤ 0.026) and having injury of penetrative to internal organ, strain, sprain, dislocation or soft tissue (AHR = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.20-2.80; p = 0.007) as determinants of early RTW after traumatic injury. The study uncovers factors crucial to RTW planning and interventions, and provides insights to minimize barriers, foster a smooth transition to employment, and optimize survivors' lives after injury.

Assessing use of the WHO surgical safety checklist for pediatric surgery in Senegal: A nationwide survey

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the surgical safety checklist (SSC) to reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality; however, its use in low- and middle-income countries is still low. Methods We conducted a survey from January 2 to 22, 2024, in public hospitals’ pediatric surgery departments and units in Senegal to assess the use of the WHO SSC or an adapted version. Results The participation rate was 100% (23 hospitals), with 11 second-level hospitals (47.8%) and 10 (43.5%) having at least two pediatric surgeons. All hospitals had an anesthetist nurse, and 18 hospitals (78.3%) had at least two scrub nurses. For the surgical workload, 14 hospitals (60.9%) had five to 10 surgical interventions weekly. Eleven hospitals (47.8%) had training on use of the SSC, and 8 of the 23 hospitals (34.8%) used the SSC. The WHO SSC nonutilization was mainly due to a lack of training in nine hospitals (60%) and SSC unavailability in five hospitals (33.3%). Members of 22 hospitals (95.6%) were available for training on use of the SSC. Conclusion The WHO SSC is poorly used in pediatric operating rooms of public hospitals in Senegal. The main reasons for nonutilization are remediable.

The Effect of Complementary Acupressure Therapy on the Incidence of Nausea and Vomiting After Regional Block Anesthesia (Spinal Anesthesia) in the Recovery Room of the Imelda Buruh Indonesia General Hospital, Medan

Postoperative nausea and vomiting is one of the common side effects of spinal anesthesia. Nausea and vomiting affect patient morbidity such as stress, discomfort, dehydration, prolonging treatment time and increasing treatment costs. This study aims to determine the effect of acupressure therapy on the incidence of nausea and vomiting after spinal anesthesia in the recovery room of the Imelda Labor Indonesia General Hospital, Medan. This type of research is a quantitative study with a quasi-experimental research method. Data reports in the province of North Sumatra, there are 25,602 patients undergoing surgery. While at the Umim Labor Indonesia Hospital, Medan, the data on surgical patients as of January-March 2024 amounted to 666 patients, 250 patients were found to have spinal anesthesia. This study was conducted in February - June 2024 at the Imelda Labor Indonesia General Hospital, Medan. A sample of 20 respondents was taken.: The results of the statistical test obtained an α value of 0.000 (α &lt;0.05), thus it was concluded that there was an effect of acupressure therapy on the incidence of nausea and vomiting after spinal anesthesia at the Imelda Labor Indonesia General Hospital, Medan. Based on the characteristics of respondents based on age, they were in the age range of 36-40 years, which was 55%, based on gender, the majority of respondents were women, which was 60%, respondents based on a history of smoking were 65%, the distribution of respondents with a history of nausea and vomiting was 55% and the majority of respondents with an incidence of nausea and vomiting was 60%. The recommendation for this study is that acupressure therapy can be applied in nursing practice so that patients are able to do it independently. For the Imelda Labor Indonesia General Hospital, Medan, it is necessary to carry out a risk scoring of nausea and vomiting in patients before surgery to minimize the incidence of nausea and vomiting after surgery.

The evaluation and cost-benefit analysis of a nonemergency private transportation program for low-income adults in a rural setting

BackgroundAccess to transportation can improve the health of communities. Since 2015, Project TRIP (Transporting Residents with Innovative Practices) has offered free nonemergency privately operated individualized transportation for low-income residents in rural eastern North Carolina. We sought to evaluate the impact of Project TRIP on health outcome and healthcare utilization measures and to conduct an economic evaluation of its cost benefit. MethodsKey health outcome and healthcare utilization variables were compared across 101 Project TRIP users before and after TRIP participation via data obtained from electronic health records from 2017 to 2021. The cost-benefit analysis included a comparison of the costs of operating Project TRIP as compared to the savings of fewer hospital and emergency department admissions. Pre and post TRIP comparisons were analyzed on the following: A1C scores, no show/missed appointments, body weight, body mass index, and number of emergency room and hospital admissions. ResultsOver half (58%) of Project TRIP users were female with a mean age of 54. Most riders were Black (69%), either received Medicaid (32%) or Medicare (17%) or were uninsured (22%). All variables showed a decrease (improvement) post TRIP utilization. The average A1C level decreased by 0.52 post TRIP utilization (statistically significant at 10% level). The number of hospital admissions also decreased (statistically significant at 1% level) for TRIP users. Other key measures also improved for TRIP users but not at statistically significant levels. The estimated net savings of Project TRIP in hospital and emergency room visits alone after deducting operating costs in the past 5 years was $720,544. ConclusionsThis study found that access to a non-emergency medical transportation program was cost-effective in reducing emergency room and hospital expenditures. Project TRIP users demonstrated an improvement in health outcomes post TRIP utilization. Expanding model rural transit programs and policies are needed.

Tn4661-mediated transfer of bla CTX-M-15 from Klebsiella michiganensis to an outbreak clone of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Carriage of CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) is rare in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. During routine surveillance of an endemic ST-621 P. aeruginosa at a large hospital, isolate MRSN 100690 carrying bla CTX-M-15 was cultured from a patient (P2). This was the first detection of this ESBL in the endemic ST-621 lineage. All 1 488 bacterial isolates collected from the same facility in the 12 months prior to the incidence of 100 690 were screened for the presence of bla CTX-M-15. A set of 183 isolates was identified, in which corresponding patient metadata was evaluated for spatiotemporal overlaps with P2. The resulting three isolates, along with 100 690, were long-read sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore MinION platform to determine a potential donor of bla CTX-M-15. The screen revealed a single Klebsiella michiganensis isolate, MRSN 895358, which carried an IncA/C2 plasmid harbouring bla CTX-M-15. Notably, the patient harbouring 895358, P1, occupied the same hospital room as P2 9 months prior. Genomic alignment revealed that both isolates shared an identical 80.8 kb region containing the IncA/C2 plasmid replicon and bla CTX-M-15. This region was plasmid bound in 895 358, but chromosomally bound in 100 690 due to Tn4661-mediated transposition. ESBL bla CTX-M-15 was acquired and subsequently integrated into the chromosome of a ST-621 P. aeruginosa, likely initiated by plasmid transfer from a K. michiganensis strain.

The Impact of Hormone Therapy on Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a global healthcare problem that affects around 3 million people in the United States. Although the impact of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on IBD severity has been studied in cisgender patients, there is currently no literature on the impact of exogenous hormone therapy (HT) in transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals. We conducted a retrospective chart review of TGNB adults diagnosed with IBD and treated with HT for gender dysphoria at Johns Hopkins Hospital (2015-2022). We aimed to determine whether the use of GAHT was associated with subsequent increase in IBD severity. We compared the incidence of flares before vs after GAHT. Twenty-two patients were analyzed. More than half (59%) of them were assigned female at birth, identified as transmen, and underwent masculinizing HT. Their median (interquartile range) age was 30 (25-36) years. More patients had Crohn's disease compared with ulcerative colitis (13 [59.1%] vs 9 [40.9%], P = .23) with a median IBD duration of 6.2 (1.8-12.3) years. Nine (41%) patients were on biologics. Of 15 patients on HT, 8 (36.3%) experienced at least one flare. Most of them were treated with steroids (66.7%), and 6 (40%) required hospital or emergency room admission. The proportion of patients who flared after GAHT was similar to that before GAHT: 9 (60%) vs 8 (53.3%), P = 1.0. GAHT was not associated with increased incidence of flares. Larger prospective randomized studies are needed to confirm our findings and understand the interaction between GAHT and IBD in TGNB individuals.

Obturator Nerve Block Performed Blinded Versus by Ultrasound-guidence for Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The primary outcome of this study is to compare the success rates of ONB techniques performed either with ultrasound guidance or with the blind technique. The second outcome is to compare the incidences of perioperative bleeding and the presence of recurrent tumors in the control cystoscopy performed in the 3rd postoperative month in both groups. The study was conducted in the urology operating room of Mugla Sitki Kocman Training and Research Hospital between December 2019 and March 2023. A total of 122 patients were included in the study: 22 females with a mean age of 56.63 ± 12.99 years and 100 males with a mean age of 63.18 ± 8.00 years. In one group (group 1), ONB was performed under ultrasound guidance by the same anesthesiologist, and in another group (group 2), ONB was performed blindly based on anatomical signs by the same urologist. Adductor muscle contraction was not observed in 53 patients (91.4%) in group 1 and in 49 patients (76.6%) in group 2 (p = 0.027). The success rate of ONB was higher when using an ultrasound-guided technique than when using a blind technique.

ENDOCARDITE E MIOCARDITE SECUNDÁRIA A COXSACKIEVIRUS: UM RELATO DE CASO

Myocarditis is marked by the infiltration of leukocytes in myocytes (heart muscles), while endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining and/or heart valves, usually of bacterial cause, which may or may not induce the formation of thrombi. Among the causes, infectious is prevalent, with Coxsackievirus B being one of the most common in the pediatric age group. The objective of this work is to report a case of myocarditis and endocarditis secondary to Coxsackievirus in order to train health professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of children with this pathology. A descriptive observational study was carried out by analyzing the medical records of a patient treated in the emergency room of a secondary hospital in the Federal District. To describe the case and discussion, a literature analysis was carried out in the UptoDate and American Heart Association databases, selecting the most relevant articles. The case reported is a male patient, 6 years old, previously healthy, who developed fever and asthenia seeking emergency care. In complementary exams, condensation of the middle lobe and cardiomegaly were visualized. With pneumonia and myocarditis suspected, the child was hospitalized and antibiotics were started. In subsequent investigations, thrombus/vegetation was identified on echocardiogram, increased D-dimer and serology with positive IgM antibodies to Coxsackie virus. He underwent treatment with Cefepime and Enoxaparin, showed clinical improvement and 4 months after diagnosis, the echocardiogram and serology for the virus in question were normal.

A prospective, observational, multi-center, post-marketing safety surveillance study of the GSK combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive infections (DTaP-IPV/Hib) in South Korean infants

ABSTRACT In South Korea, a combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive infections (DTaP-IPV/Hib) is available since 2018 for vaccination of infants from the age of 2 months. This prospective, observational, non-comparative, post-marketing study evaluated the real-world safety of DTaP-IPV/Hib primary vaccination in eligible South Korean infants from the age of 2 months between 2018 and 2022. Infants were followed up for 30 days after each vaccine dose to assess the proportion of infants experiencing any adverse event (AE), including adverse drug reactions (ADRs), unexpected AEs, and serious AEs/serious ADRs (SAEs/SADRs). Of 660 infants vaccinated during the study period, 646 were included in the total safety cohort. A total of 194 AEs were reported in 143 (22.1%) infants; 158 AEs occurred after the first dose in 130 (20.1%) infants, 21 after the second dose in 20 (13.4%) infants, and 11 after the third dose in ten (8.1%) infants. The most frequent AEs by Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Preferred Terms terminology were pyrexia (13.3%), injection site swelling (5.1%), and irritability (1.7%). Most of the AEs were mild, resolved without a medical visit, and were classified as possibly related to vaccination. The incidence proportions of ADRs, unexpected AEs, and SAEs/SADRs were 19.4%, 4.3%, and 0.9%, respectively. All SAEs/SADRs resolved after hospitalization or emergency room visit, and one event was possibly related to vaccination. These results are in line with the approved label and other national/international studies, confirming the acceptable safety profile of DTaP-IPV/Hib in the South Korean pediatric population.

Neurological Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Does Ethnicity Matter?

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada between December 1, 2020 and June 31, 2021 to compare the incidence of neurological events (hospitalization or emergency room visit) within six weeks of COVID-19 vaccination in Chinese, South Asian and Other ethnic groups. Compared to Others, the crude rates after the first dose for Bell's palsy, ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage were lower in Chinese (34, 159 and 48 per 1,000,000 doses) and in South Asians (44, 148 and 32), but similar after adjusting for age, sex and vaccine type. Our findings should help encourage vaccination for all, irrespective of ethnicity.

Patient Experiences with Hospitalization due to Diabetes in Alberta, Canada – A Cohort Study Using Survey and Administrative Data

Individuals living with diabetes are often hospitalized. Despite this, little is known about their experiences with hospital care. We examined the comprehensive experiences of patients hospitalized due to diabetes in Alberta, Canada, and compared with those hospitalized due to other chronic conditions. We conducted a retrospective cohort study which linked survey data with inpatient records. Survey data were collected using the Canadian Patient Experiences Survey - Inpatient Care (CPES-IC) instrument. Results from 37 questions were classified as percent in "top box", which reflects the most positive answer choice. We also examined the association between overall experience and demographic and clinical factors among those living with diabetes. Over a seven-year period, 12,593 surveys (2,288 diabetes, 10,305 other chronic conditions) were obtained. Those hospitalized due to diabetes had lower "top box" scores on 24 questions, higher scores on three questions, and the remaining 10 questions showed no difference between groups. Those hospitalized due to diabetes indicated potential areas for improvement. These included receiving information about their condition and about the admission process, the nighttime quietness of their hospital room, being informed about possible side effects of new medications, and pain control. Overall experience was also shown to vary according to demographic and clinical factors. We found that individuals who are hospitalized due to diabetes report lower experience scores than those who are hospitalized due to other chronic conditions. Our findings may be used to develop strategies to improve the patient experience among this cohort.

Impact of Indoor Air Pollutants on the Cardiovascular Health Outcomes of Older Adults: Systematic Review.

Indoor air pollution accounts for approximately 3.8 million inopportune deaths annually at global level. Due to spending more time indoors, children and older adults are especially susceptible to the health risks of indoor air pollution. This review seeks to summarise existing knowledge on the cardiovascular health effects of three common indoor air pollutants, namely carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), focusing on older adults. We systematically reviewed the literature (PROSPERO CRD42024479220) on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase. The search yielded 20,914 records. Two independent reviewers screened the articles using titles, abstracts, and full-length articles written in English. Upon a detailed assessment of all the records, the review considered 38 full-length articles. Several studies reported mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, increased hospitalisation and increased emergency room visits due to exposure to indoor air pollution. A few studies reported arrhythmias, hypertension and Ischaemic heart disease due to exposure to indoor air pollutants. The increased mortality, morbidity, hospitalization, and emergency rooms visits resulting from indoor air pollution associated CVDs makes indoor air pollution a health risk for older adults. There is, therefore, a need to synthesize information on studies relate d to how the selected indoor air pollutants affected the cardiovascular health of older adults.

Hybrid operating room for the multidisciplinary treatment of a juvenile nasoangiofibroma at the “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga” general hospital of Mexico: case report and literature review

Nasoangiofibroma or juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a highly vascularized benign neoplasm, which mainly affects men between the first and second decade of life. The incidence of this type of lesion is extremely rare and occurs in a 0.05 to 0.5% of all head and neck neoplasm, in which surgical treatment is considered the best treatment option. Treatment of this pathology in a hybrid operating room is considered a novel tool, to carry out an effective multidisciplinary intervention, granting better control of the procedure and hemostasis. The purpose of this publication is to describe the advantages of performing surgery in a hybrid operating room, as well as to conduct a literature review on this condition. Two cases are reported, a 14 and 16-years old male, both with a probable diagnosis of juvenile nasoangiofibroma. The surgical treatment was carried out in the hybrid operating room of the General Hospital of Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga” by the otorhinolaryngology and the oral and maxillofacial surgery department after embolization by the interventional radiology team.

Perspectives of Families and Healthcare Staff on the Design of Inpatient Hospital Rooms in Saudi Arabia.

Aim: This study aims to explore the relationship between the perspectives of both family members and healthcare staff regarding the design of hospital inpatient rooms. It investigates the impact of family presence on the healing environment and examines the influence of specific design elements within inpatient rooms on the extent of family presence. Background: The positive impact of family presence in healthcare settings is rooted in the notion that patients and their families are significant stakeholders in the care process. However, little is known about the influence of inpatient room design elements on family presence in healthcare settings in the Middle East. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 359 participants, encompassing patients, family visitors, and healthcare professionals from three hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire items sought insights into the influence of design elements within inpatient rooms on family presence and the overall healing environment. Results: The results indicate a strong preference for single-patient rooms (74.5%), natural light (77.6%), comfortable seating (85.8%), and a family zone positioned by the window for unobstructed views of nature (50.5%). Furthermore, the study reveals that family presence is perceived to have positive effects on the healing environment (84.0%), patient safety (81.3%), and satisfaction with the care process (88.0%). Conclusion: This study proposes a design model for inpatient rooms that can effectively cater to the needs of patients and their families, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of healthcare building design.

Serum Uric Acid in Women with Preeclampsia and its Relation to Perinatal and Maternal Outcomes

Background and objective: Preeclampsia is a dangerous, progressive condition that is linked to maternal and neonatal death and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between serum uric acid levels in preeclampsia with maternal and fetal outcomes. Method: A case-control study was conducted on 300 women delivered at the labour room of Duhok Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, from 1st of April 2021 to 1st of April 2022. The study participants were divided into two groups, pregnant women with preeclampsia and normotensive women. The serum uric acid levels of these women were estimated with the impact on fetal and mother outcomes. Results: There was a highly significant association between preeclamptic and normotensive women in relation to mean serum uric acid (5.862 ±1.416) mg/dL and (3.570 ±0.982) mg/dL respectively. A highly significant association was seen between uric acid test levels and maternal eclamptic fit, HELLP syndrome and admission to intensive care unit. A highly significant association also seen with newborn birth weight, APGAR scores and admission to neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates a significant raise in serum uric acid level in preeclamptic women and associated with adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes.

Intelligent mobile robot for contagious disease treatments in hospitals

This paper provides a novel and applicable work that builds a real system for disinfecting the air and surfaces of the environment in a hospital room, with a non-contact measurement system for supporting contagious disease treatments in hospitals. The system is built on an intelligent mobile robot system that operates autonomously in a simulated real treatment room. The research team uses a new positioning algorithm. It is a combination of data from the Lidar sensor, encoder, and Extended Kalman filter. The program that applies segmentation and image feature extraction algorithms is developed to meet requirements of real-time environment mapping in the room. Control algorithms for moving and avoiding obstacles are also proposed. Next, techniques for collecting health data including patient identification, body temperature, and blood oxygen index via wireless sensor network are also mentioned in the article. Analysis and experimental results show qualified outcomes and promise. The main contribution of the paper can be listed as follows.•Design and build a new CEE-IMR, an intelligent mobile robot that can regconize patients, guide and lead them walking in hospitals, especially keep a safe distance avoiding contagious deseases.•A novel framework for controlling the robot is proposed. The robot can move flexible, avoid obstacles, etc. based on advanced control algorithms. A new control mechanism is also proposed.•Methods of collecting data and processing medical data to support either patients or doctors to improve the effecency in hospitals in contagious disease management.

Environmental bacterial load during surgical and ultrasound procedures in a Swedish small animal hospital

BackgroundEnvironmental bacteria in animal healthcare facilities may constitute a risk for healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Knowledge of the bacterial microflora composition and factors influencing the environmental bacterial load can support tailored interventions to lower the risk for HAI. The aims of this study were to: (1) quantify and identify environmental bacteria in one operating room (OR) and one ultrasound room (UR) in a small animal hospital, (2) compare the bacterial load to threshold values suggested for use in human healthcare facilities, (3) characterise the genetic relationship between selected bacterial species to assess clonal dissemination, and (4) investigate factors associated with bacterial load during surgery.Settle plates were used for passive air sampling and dip slides for surface sampling. Bacteria were identified by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption—Time Of Flight. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by broth microdilution. Single nucleotide polymorphism-analysis was performed to identify genetically related isolates. Linear regression was performed to analyse associations between observed explanatory factors and bacterial load.ResultsThe bacterial load on settle plates and dip slides were low both in the OR and the UR, most of the samples were below threshold values suggested for use in human healthcare facilities. All settle plates sampled during surgery were below the threshold values suggested for use in human clean surgical procedures.Staphylococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp. were the dominating species. There was no indication of clonal relationship among the sequenced isolates. Bacteria carrying genes conveying resistance to disinfectants were revealed.Air change and compliance with hygiene routines were sufficient in the OR. No other factors possibly associated with the bacterial load were identified.ConclusionsThis study presents a generally low bacterial load in the studied OR and UR, indicating a low risk of transmission of infectious agents from the clinical environment. The results show that it is possible to achieve bacterial loads below threshold values suggested for use in human healthcare facilities in ORs in small animal hospitals and thus posing a reduced risk of HAI. Bacteria carrying genes conveying resistance to disinfectants indicates that resistant bacteria can persist in the clinical environment, with increased risk for HAI.

Analysis of Pharmacist’s Integrated Patients Progress Notes (IPPN) on Hospitalized Patients with Lower Respiratory Infection

Upper respiratory tract infections are generally caused by viruses, while lower respiratory tract infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and mycoplasma which sometimes require patients to be hospitalized. This study aims to study the completeness and accuracy of writing Integrated Patients Progress Notes(IPPN) with the Subjective Objective Assessment Plan (SOAP) method made by hospital pharmacists. This study is a retrospective study, with a purposive sampling technique and results are analyzed descriptively. Data were taken from the medical records of patients with lower respiratory tract infections who were hospitalized in the Very Important People (VIP) room of Hospital X in Kampar Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia from 2019 to May 2020. 20 IPPNs were obtained, but only 16 met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that there were 3 (18.75%) IPPN data that were filled in completely, and the accuracy of writing that was declared correct was 2 (12.5%). It is hoped that pharmacists can improve their knowledge of writing SOAP in IPPN better.