Wear Gloves Research Articles

Impact of sterile gloving during proximal manipulation of central line catheter hub: the multicenter observational study CleanHandPROX

BackgroundPatients with central lines face an increased risk of developing bacteremia. Preventing late-onset catheter-related infections relies on implementing various measures during manipulations of the catheter hub of central lines (e.g., during connections, disconnections, blood withdrawals, pulsed rinses, or injections performed at the first connection after the central catheter). French guidelines include, among these measures, the requirement to put on sterile gloves immediately before proximal manipulation to help prevent contamination of the catheter hub during preparation. To our knowledge, no study has reported compliance with wearing sterile gloves during these manipulations, nor the impact of not wearing sterile gloves on the cleanliness of the fingers of healthcare workers (HCWs) just before manipulating the connectors.MethodsWe conducted a two-part study to assess compliance with sterile gloving and to provide direct microbiological evidence of bacterial contamination on HCWs’ hands immediately before the manipulation of central lines when sterile gloving is not used. First, the use of sterile gloves was observed during proximal manipulations of central lines using a standardized grid. Second, we examined the microbial flora present on the fingers of each observed HCW just before proximal manipulation.ResultsA total of 260 HCWs from 35 healthcare institutions were observed during proximal manipulation. The HCWs were distributed into three groups: 188 used sterile gloves (72%), 23 used nonsterile gloves (9%), and 49 did not wear gloves (19%). The swabbing of the fingertips revealed microbial cultures from 72 samples (28%). A total of 97 microorganisms were identified, all of which are well-recognized agents responsible for catheter-related bacteremia, predominantly coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 36) and Bacillus sp. (n = 31). Fingertip contamination was lower for HCWs wearing sterile gloves (27/188; 14%) than for those wearing nonsterile gloves (12/23; 52%) or not wearing gloves (33/49; 67%) (p < 0.001). The contaminants were similar across the three groups.ConclusionsOur data support the positive impact of sterile gloving in ensuring clean fingertips during proximal manipulation of central lines, a key measure in preventing late-onset catheter-related bacteremia. The contamination of sterile gloves in one out of seven HCWs highlights the need for a clean care environment and minimal contact with the patient’s skin and surroundings during proximal manipulation.

Survey of Preventing Exposure Regarding Sweat in Patients Receiving Antineoplastic Agents at Base Hospitals for Promoting Hematopoietic Stem Cell

This survey aimed to reveal the actual preventing exposure for handling of clothing and sweat of patients treated with anticancer drugs, following the publication of "Guideline for Preventing Occupational Exposure in Cancer Chemotherapy Drugs, 2019 Edition" (Guideline 2019). A survey was conducted among nurses working at 95 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation promotion base hospitals from September 1, 2023 to October 31, 2023. The response rate was 84.2% (80 facilities). Of the respondents, 45% wore gloves when touching patients' skin to administer anticancer drugs. Almost the nurses identified "urine" and "feces" as fluids on contaminated linen, while 14.1% also identified "sweat." For new staff, the results for preventing exposure education on "if touching the patients' skin" and "if handling clothing and linen" were 23.8% and 34.9%, respectively. This survey shows that nurses may not be following the Guideline 2019 for use of personal protective equipment and handling of clothes. Medical institutions handling anticancer drugs need to educate their staff for preventing occupational exposure.

Fourth COVID anniversary: does our practice have changed? The case of ENT outpatient consultations in Cameroon — a national cross-sectional survey

BackgroundIn Cameroon, the COVID-19 disease has demonstrated shortcomings in preventing nosocomial infections at both collective and individual levels. This study aimed to identify practice changes in ENT outpatient consultations in Cameroon inducted by the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study that took place in March 2024. A Google Form was submitted to ENT practitioners online across Cameroon. It consisted of 20 questions grouped into socio-professional and clinical data.ResultsSixty-four practitioners responded to the questionnaire. The average age of respondents was 36, with extremes of 31 and 70. The sex ratio was 0.35 in favor of women. In terms of experience, 47.7% had been practicing for less than 10 years. A total of 91.3% practiced in public health facilities. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, attitudes towards respiratory diseases were as follows: wearing of masks by suspected patients (4.3%), information posters in waiting rooms (13%), constant use of disinfectant gel (26.1%), wearing of masks by practitioners (0%), wearing of gloves (54.5%), wearing of gowns (87%), constant hand hygiene after each consultation (26.1%), and regular surface hygiene (30.4%). All precautions were improved after 4 years of the pandemic except wearing eye protection.ConclusionENT practice has been strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many measures still need to be taken to improve infection control in hospitals in Cameroon.

Awareness of Burn Injury Prevention and First Aid Management Among Adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Burn injuries represent a significant public health concern, with the effectiveness of preventive measures and first aid largely dependent on public knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of burn injury prevention and first aid management among adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional survey was administered to adults in Jazan using a structured questionnaire. The survey assessed participants' knowledge of burn causes, preventive strategies, and first aid practices. Responses were analyzed to gauge the level of awareness and identify gaps in knowledge. Among the participants (n = 400), 71.3% (n = 285) recognized hot liquids as a primary burn hazard, 27.4% (n = 109) identified electricity, 97.0% (n = 388) cited fire, and 53.8% (n = 215) acknowledged chemicals. In terms of preventive measures, 61.6% (n = 246) understood the importance of following manufacturer safety guidelines, 78.8% (n = 315) knew to keep chemicals out of children's reach, 72.4% (n = 289) were aware of the need to wear gloves, and 61.6% (n = 246) recognized the necessity of avoiding the storage of unnecessary chemicals. For first aid practices, 91.8% (n = 367) knew to use water, 50.8% (n = 203) would seek medical attention, 22.6% (n = 90) would cover burns, and 20.3% (n = 81) considered pain management important. The findings indicate a strong awareness among adults in Jazan regarding burn injury causes, prevention, and first aid practices. Despite this, gaps remain in specific first-aid responses and comprehensive safety measures. Targeted educational initiatives could address these gaps and enhance burn injury prevention and management.

Insulating Glove Wearing State Detection for Substation Personnel Based on Faster‐YOLOv8

Electrical workers must wear insulating gloves during daily maintenance. Detecting the condition of these gloves is significant for power safety. Due to the limitations of existing detection algorithms in accuracy and lightweight on power construction sites, this paper proposes a Faster‐YOLOv8 algorithm to detect the wearing condition of insulating gloves. First, it replaces the Bottleneck in the C2f module with the Faster Block and introduces a new C2Faster module. This reduces model parameters while improving performance. Second, the feature pyramid is improved to enhance the combination of deep and shallow semantic information. This improvement aims to improve the network's focus on detecting small targets. Finally, the GSConv is introduced into the neck network to reduce the model parameters and calculation. Additionally, GSConv enhances feature information exchange through shuffle operation. The effectiveness of the Faster‐YOLOv8 algorithm is verified through comparisons with mainstream algorithms such as the Faster‐RCNN algorithm, SSD algorithm, YOLOv5 algorithm, and YOLOv7‐tiny algorithm. The results demonstrate that the Faster‐YOLOv8 algorithm outperforms the above algorithms in terms of detection accuracy. Compared with the original YOLOv8 network model, the mAP is improved by 3.8%, the mAP of the wrong glove increased by 9.8%, the model size is reduced by 33.3%, and the detection speed can reach 81 FPS. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Clinical evaluation of ophthalmic findings in active, amateur, adult, competitive male boxers in India.

Background: In the popular fighting sport of boxing, opponents strike each other above the belt line in the face, chest, and belly. The physical parts most exposed are therefore the nose and eyes. In amateur boxing, fights go only three rounds - three minutes for men and one minute for women - with a one-minute break in between. They wear gloves, but the head protection used in the men's game has been removed by AIBA due to the high likelihood of concussion when using head protection. Because chronic ocular changes may take longer than the expected short-term effects, this study included at least 3 years of competitive sports participation. Study design and setting: Institutional-based cross-sectional study. Materials and methods: To evaluate ophthalmic outcomes, 200 eyes of 100 active amateur, adult, and competitive male boxers were studied. Results: Of the 100 boxers, 51 had ophthalmic changes in at least one eye, and 49 had normal eyes. The average age of boxers was 24.98 years. The average duration of boxing training was 7.04 years. Healed eyelid scars, subconjunctival hemorrhages, conjunctival papillae, traumatic mydriasis, posterior synechiae, angulation abnormalities, traumatic cataracts, lens subluxation, increased intraocular pressure, and peripapillary atrophy were observed on the ocular side. None of these could be attributed to boxing. Conclusion: Boxing-related eye injuries are common in India and the most common vision-threatening eye abnormalities include traumatic cataracts, lens subluxation, and angle abnormalities. Surprisingly, no macular lesions were found on physical examination and OCT. Additional studies with a larger number of boxers will be needed to evaluate and prevent clinical symptoms. All boxers should have a complete eye exam regularly. Abbreviations: AIBA = Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur, OCT = Optical Coherence Tomography.

Phlebotomy- A gateway to laboratory diagnostics

Objective: To assess the knowledge, practice and attitude about venipuncture amongst Nursing staff of a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: This questionnaire-based survey was done at Rawal General and dental hospital, Islamabad, from January to April 2022. The Questionnaire was developed as per the CLSI H3-A6 and WHO‘s venipuncture guidelines. It was distributed to nursing staff by hand. Most were filled inside the classes in front of the teacher. Results: The frequency of correct responses in the knowledge section varied from 4(4.6%) about the number of tube inversions to 79(90.8%) about wearing of gloves before taking a sample while 47(54%) selected the correct option of identifying a patient. Regarding the standard phlebotomy protocols, the response was quite low which was 26(29.9%), 18(20.7%) and 8(9.2%) about the correct angle of needle insertion, what to inspect of the supplies and the location of applying the tourniquet respectively. Recapping with two hands is still done by 13% and 79% still put the sample by holding tube in the other hand. In spite of all this 66% still think that one can learn venipuncture by practicing the techniques without going through a proper course. Conclusion: Nursing staff in Rawal General and dental hospital is not fully aware about basic laboratory protocols and their importance. This unawareness can lead to generation of erroneous lab reports. Formal education, training with summative assessments should be a part of the curriculum of nursing courses followed by rigorous implementation monitoring. Keywords: Awareness, Nurses, Phlebotomy, Venipuncture, Sample

Long‐term durability of thermoplastic elastomer containing antiviral additives for mobility applications

AbstractIn the mobility market, there is a demand from customers for antimicrobial protection. As a result, the market has grown considerably to provide antiviral and antimicrobial polymers and coatings. This study examines how the efficacy of a non‐commercial antimicrobial thermoplastic elastomer will change over the life of the application. Using an example application of an electric scooter handlebar grip, durability requirements were identified, and antiviral efficacy (exceeding a log value of 3 or &gt;99.9 microbial growth reduction) was compared before and after testing. A scooter handlebar grip was selected as the ideal example application as it was a high‐touch surface, with several different riders. During the start of this study, scooter companies were encouraging their riders to disinfect scooter handlebars before riding, use hand sanitizer, and wear gloves. If the handlebar grip could be antimicrobial, then they could eliminate these steps and provide a safe ride for the users. In order to simulate long‐term durability, UV exposure, temperature, humidity, artificial sweat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and abrasion tests were performed and evaluated in terms of antiviral activity. Accelerated weathering reduced the virucidal activity of the sample versus unexposed antiviral thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). However, the efficacy increased with contact time from 90% to 96.83% at 30 and 120 min, respectively. Abrasion resistance of antiviral TPE showed a volume loss of 66 mm3 compared to control samples of 83 mm3. The antiviral TPE sample exhibited slightly lower efficacy compared to the control after exposure to the artificial sweat (99.43% vs. 99.95%). Additionally, a skin tolerance test conducted on rabbits showed that antiviral TPE was not an irritant and showed no dermal toxicity. The outcome of this study will lead to the development of long‐term durable antimicrobial material for the transportation industry.Highlights The effectiveness of an antimicrobial material depends on various environmental factors. Accelerated weathering of the antiviral TPE reduced the efficacy. The antiviral TPE was non‐irritating to the skin. Significant research needs to continue in this area to provide safe and robust solutions. This approach to antimicrobial incorporation can now be applied to the transportation industry.

Status of practice on prevention and treatment of exposure to sharp objects among nursing students at Lang Son Medical College in 2022

Objective: To describe the status of practice on prevention and treatment of exposure to sharp objects among nursing students at Lang Son Medical College in 2022. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study was implemented among 120 nursing students at Lang Son Medical College from January to July 2022 using “Evaluation of Nursing Students’ Practices in Preventing Injuries Caused by Sharp Objects” measurement with the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.793. Results: The percentage of nursing students at Lang Son Medical College who satisfactorily practice on prevention and treatment of exposure to sharp objects was 36.7%. Of which: 64.2% of students used cotton or gauze to break glass tubes; The percentage of students using both hands to cover the needle cap before and after injecting medicine were 38.3% and 48.3%, respectively; 21.7% of students did not wear gloves when their hands were injured; 72.5% of students passed around sharp objects when performing procedures; 71.7% of students did not put injection needles or infusion needles into sharps containers/containers immediately after injection. Conclusion: Practice of preventing and treating exposure to sharp objects among nursing students at Lang Son Medical College was at a low level.

Perspectives and Attitudes of Newer New Jersey High School Teachers towards Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Consumer Products Used in School Classrooms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increased reported use of chemical cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products (CSDPs), which created public concerns about negative health consequences for both children and adults in public schools. A subset of newer teachers shared experiences regarding safety and health (S&H) while working in school-based settings through a series of online surveys. Surveys were provided to teachers who completed work-based learning supervisory trainings provided by the New Jersey Safe Schools Program between October 2021 and June 2023. The participants answered questions focusing on CSDPs purchased for school use, their attitudes towards CSDPs, their use of personal protective equipment, and symptoms employees may have had due to CSDPs. A total of 205 teacher participants successfully completed the surveys. Over 25% of the teachers did not know where their CSDPs originated from, as they were provided by the school. Most participants "sometimes", "not often", or "never" read labels for CSDP ingredients or looked them up on healthy product apps. The participants (60%) tended to wear gloves while cleaning/disinfecting but did not wear masks. A third of the participants experienced respiratory health problems after working at school. Overall, the data suggest that more education on S&H regarding CSDPs needs to be provided to New Jersey teachers.

Health Care Waste Assessment in a Secondary Health Care Facility in Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: Proper management of waste generated in healthcare facilities is very important for patient safety, disease containment, and the general safety of healthcare workers in the facilities. It is important that healthcare workers have a good knowledge of healthcare waste management, develops good attitude towards healthcare waste management and practices standard health care waste management protocols as stipulated by the World Health Organization. Objectives: This study therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of health care waste management among health care workers in Borromeo Hospital, Anambra State. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out among healthcare workers selected using multistage sampling technique in 6 categories of healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, lab scientists/technicians, pharmacists/technicians, hospital attendants) in Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, using a pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and associations and correlations between dependent and independent variables were tested at the bivariate level using Pearson Chi-square test and t-test as appropriate. The level of statistical significance was set at 5%. Results: A total of 73 healthcare workers were studied. Most of the respondents were female nurses with 0-5 years of working experience.58.9% of respondents had a very good knowledge of health care waste management and 37% had a relatively good knowledge. Majority of respondents (85%) agreed that HBV immunization prevents hospital transmission while 79.4% disagreed that containment of sharps does not help in safe management of hospital wastes.89% of the respondents adheres strictly to waste management regulations while only 2.7% of the respondents do not wear gloves in handling medical waste. Most of the respondents (83.6%) agreed that the number of patients in the facility was the single main factor .......

An innovative method to prevent infection when measuring the arterial blood gas SpO2 saturation.

Patients are hospitalized for extended periods, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). As a result, the saturation probe (pulse oximeter) remains attached for an extended period and microorganisms can grow in the wet environment. If the pulse oximeters are not reprocessed, cross-infection may occur. The literature contains several studies in which gloves were used for the measurement while various SpO2 (peripheral arterial oxygen saturation) measurements were compared with each other. However, such comparisons have yet to be made with the results of arterial blood gas SpO2 measurements by pulse oximeter, considered as the gold standard. The present study aimed to compare arterial blood gas values with the fingertip saturation measurement performed by having adult patients wear gloves of different colors, one after the other, on their fingers and determining the effect of the differently colored gloves (transparent, white, black, light blue) on saturation values. The study was conducted on 54 patients in an ICU. Intra-arterial blood gas SpO2 results were measured. Oxygen saturation was measured while the patient 1. did not wear gloves and 2. sequentially wore a series of gloves of different colors. Paired t-test, correlation analysis, and Bland Altman charts were used to evaluate the results. The mean SpO2% value of the participants' intra-arterial blood gas measurements was 97.76±2.04. The mean SpO2% value obtained from the measurements of the fingers with a transparent glove was 0.43 points lower than the mean SpO2% value of the intra-arterial blood gas measurements (t=0.986, p=0.61). The mean SpO2% value obtained from the measurements of the fingers with a white glove was 0.93 points lower than the mean SpO2% value of the intra-arterial blood gas measurements (t=1.157, p=0.093). Of the measurements performed with a glove, the mean SpO2% value obtained from the measurements of the fingers with a transparent glove was more consistent with the mean SpO2% value of the intra-arterial blood gas measurements than measurement of the fingers without a glove.

Development of Latent Fingerprints on Different Types of Gloves by Using Physical and Chemical Methods

Fingerprints are a foundation of forensic evidence collected at crime scenes. But what if the perpetrator tries to be clever and wear gloves? Does this automatically mean no fingerprints will be found? Not quite. Latex gloves abandoned at crime scenes can be potential evidence that leaves the perpetrator's hidden fingerprints behind. However, despite their potential, gloves have proven to be a tricky surface for fingerprint development. This study explores the possibility of extracting fingerprints from gloves left behind by criminals. Sweat residues, dirt, and tiny particles trapped on the glove's inner surface can transfer a latent fingerprint, even if it's smudged. This smudged print can still hold valuable clues about the perpetrator. The study aims to observe the effectiveness of fingerprint development on various glove materials: latex, nitrile, cotton, plastic, and silicone. For this, a range of physical and chemical techniques were employed to reveal these hidden prints. Specialized chemicals like ninhydrin, iodine fuming, silver nitrate, Sudan black, and gentian violet were used to make the latent prints visible. Noninvasive approaches like fingerprint powders were also used to develop latent prints on the surface of gloves. This research highlights the ingenuity of forensic science in uncovering evidence even when criminals attempt to mask their identities.

Design and Evaluation of Haptic Guidance in Ultrasound-Based Needle-Insertion Procedures.

This article presents two haptic guidance systems designed to help a clinician keep an ultrasound probe steady when completing ultrasound-assisted needle insertion tasks. These procedures demand spatial reasoning and hand-eye coordination because the clinician must align a needle with the ultrasound probe and extrapolate the needle trajectory using only a 2D ultrasound image. Past research has shown that visual guidance helps the clinician align the needle, but does not help the clinician keep the ultrasound probe steady, sometimes resulting in a failed procedure. We created two separate haptic guidance systems to provide feedback if the user tilts the ultrasound probe away from the desired setpoint using (1) vibrotactile stimulation provided by a voice coil motor or (2) distributed tactile pressure provided by a pneumatic mechanism. Both systems significantly reduced probe deviation and correction time to errors during a needle insertion task. We also tested the two feedback systems in a more clinically relevant setup and showed that the perceptibility of the feedback was not affected by the addition of a sterile bag placed over the actuators and gloves worn by the user. These studies show that both types of haptic feedback are promising for helping the user keep the ultrasound probe steady during ultrasound-assisted needle insertion tasks. Survey results indicated that users preferred the pneumatic system over the vibrotactile system. Haptic feedback may improve user performance in ultrasound-based needle-insertion procedures and shows promise in training for needle-insertion tasks and other medical procedures where guidance is required.

Dermatite de Contato Alérgica Ocupacional a múltiplos agentes num Canalizador

Introduction Contact dermatitis can have an irritating or allergic background and are the most frequently encountered occupational dermatosis. Allergic Contact Dermatitis can be of occupational origin and most often affects the hands, wrists, and forearms. The occupational and clinical history is critical for its diagnosis. The relationship between the symptoms and work, identifying substances that may cause the dermatosis is important to perform epicutaneous tests. The initial stage of treatment consists of evicting the agent, which may include removing the worker from his workplace. Early and appropriate treatment is important to prevent further deterioration and persistence of skin lesions. Case Report 47-year-old man, a plumber for thirty years, and no relevant personal background. About seventeen years ago, he started erythematous, scaly, and fissured lesions on the dorsum of both hands and in the interdigital spaces, which he associated with his professional activity. Initially, he did not wear gloves when working with plastic pipes, glues, sealants, and other rubber and steel materials. With the appearance of the injuries, he began to use them, without improvement. However, he kept the injuries. Dermatology followed it, where it performed the first epicutaneous tests with positivity for the agent Isopropyl-N-Phenyl 4 Phenylenediamine, present in rubbers. Due to continued exposure to the agent present in his workplace, with consequent worsening of the skin lesions, he returned to the consultation. He carried out new epicutaneous tests that revealed new positivities: Paraphenylenediamine, Mixture of Thiurans and Colophony. These agents are present in his work, and the diagnosis of Occupational Allergic Contact Dermatitis was assumed. Discussion/ Conclusion Occupational Allergic Contact Dermatitis is associated with high personal and professional suffering, loss of earning capacity and decreased productivity. Given the multiplicity of sensitized agents, this case was a challenge for Occupational Health, as it was present in various work materials and protective equipment. In this case, it was not possible to leave the workplace, which was not the option accepted by the worker, so the management of the case involved minimizing contact, giving preference to other types of materials, by reducing the time and intensity of exposure, using safer individual protection material, as well as using inner cotton gloves and outer vinyl gloves, in addition to concomitant pharmacological treatment. This case is also positive for other agents due to cross-reactivity, as well as the multiplicity of reactions that was partly caused by the continuous injury to the skin. Keywords: Allergic Contact Dermatitis; Isopropyl-N-Phenyl 4 Phenylenediamine; Paraphenylenediamine; Tiurans; Colophony.

A Glove-Wearing Detection Algorithm Based on Improved YOLOv8.

Wearing gloves during machinery operation in workshops is essential for preventing accidental injuries, such as mechanical damage and burns. Ensuring that workers are wearing gloves is a key strategy for accident prevention. Consequently, this study proposes a glove detection algorithm called YOLOv8-AFPN-M-C2f based on YOLOv8, offering swifter detection speeds, lower computational demands, and enhanced accuracy for workshop scenarios. This research innovates by substituting the head of YOLOv8 with the AFPN-M-C2f network, amplifying the pathways for feature vector propagation, and mitigating semantic discrepancies between non-adjacent feature layers. Additionally, the introduction of a superficial feature layer enriches surface feature information, augmenting the model's sensitivity to smaller objects. To assess the performance of the YOLOv8-AFPN-M-C2f model, this study conducted multiple experiments using a factory glove detection dataset compiled for this study. The results indicate that the enhanced YOLOv8 model surpasses other network models. Compared to the baseline YOLOv8 model, the refined version shows a 2.6% increase in mAP@50%, a 63.8% rise in FPS, and a 13% reduction in the number of parameters. This research contributes an effective solution for the detection of glove adherence.

Rare Occasion of Congenital Anomalies: Bilateral Syndactyly with Multiple Polydactyly of the Hands and Feet

Introduction: Upper and lower limb malformations are essential things that occur related to congenital disabilities, including syndactyly and polydactyly. It may appear in association with other birth defects as a part of a syndrome and may be present in the upper extremity or lower extremity. Cases of bilateral syndactyly with multiple polydactyly of the hands and feet are the first time in our center, and they must be promptly diagnosed and treated to avoid functional and cosmetic problems. Case presentation: A 3-month-old male toddler presented with webbed index, middle, and ring fingers with synonichia, accompanied by additional fingers on hands and feet. An x-ray examination revealed preaxial polydactyly at both hands with bifid phalanx (Wassel classification) and postaxial polydactyly type B. Duplicated postaxial metatarsal (Venn-Watson classification) and type B postaxial polydactyly also occur on both feet with webbed index and middle toe on the left foot. Direct closure was achieved with a dorsal trapezoidal and zig-zag flap to release the second and third fingers of the right hand, followed by resection of rudimentary fingers to help the child with early stages of motoric functions. Discussion: Syndactyly can cause a length difference that results in growth and functional difficulties. Surgical release of the index to middle and middle to ring fingers should be done early between 3-6 months of age and is expected to help the child grasp, write, and subsequently manipulate objects. We prioritize operating the right hand as around 90% of people prefer to use the right hand. Simple ligation was also performed to recess the rudimentary fingers on both hands and feet. It has no functional benefit and can limit function as it may get caught or make it difficult to wear shoes and gloves. We have to remind the parents that multiple surgeries may be necessary to achieve a satisfactory result and to complete the reconstruction before 24 months of age when the patterns of function of the digits are established. Conclusion: Bilateral complex syndactyly with preaxial and postaxial polydactyly on both hands and feet are distinctly uncommon entities that need multidisciplinary treatment. In this instance, the syndactyly releasing of the second and third fingers on the right hand is prioritized based on the function to be achieved, with excision of the rudimentary fingers.

Evaluation of Education and Training in Good Hygiene Practices among Health Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Moroccan Hospitals

The education and continued training of healthcare professionals in good hygiene practices (GHP) is a key element in the fight against the risk of infection in public hospitals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the education and training of healthcare workers in GHP. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Sidi Kacem provincial hospital center using a questionnaire validated by Cronbach's Alpha test with a score of 0.786 to collect a maximum of information. The Chi-square test was used to compare and correlate categorical variables. Any p-value less than 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Results: our study concerned 126 healthcare professionals, 84.1% of the professionals questioned showed that they had not received continuous training on hand washing, 96% of the professionals questioned expressed their need to receive training on wearing and changing gloves, 61.9% stated that they had not received training on the prevention of nosocomial infections. Females were more likely to wash their hands than males, with a significant p-value of p= 0.011. In terms of seniority, we found that care workers with more than 10 years' experience were more respectful of this washing than the other categories, with a p-value of p=0.024. Our results show that there is a huge lack of continuous training on GHP, which affects the quality of care at hospital level.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 16 August 2023 / Accepted: 27 September 2023 / Published: 5 November 2023

Pastern dermatitis outbreak associated with toxigenic and non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and non-toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans at a horse stable in Finland, 2021.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans, when producing toxin, are the cause of diphtheria, a potentially life-threatening illness in humans. Horses (Equus ferus caballus) are known to be susceptible to infection that may manifest clinically on rare occasions. In late 2021 and early 2022, specimens from five horses suffering from pastern dermatitis were cultured at the Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. C. diphtheriae and/or C. ulcerans were recovered from all of these. This study aimed to (1) analyse the bacterial isolates and (2) describe the outbreak and identify possible sources of the infection and infection routes in the stable. Susceptibility testing, PCR for the tox gene, and Elek test for toxin production in PCR-positive isolates were performed. Whole genome sequencing was also conducted to achieve high-resolution strain typing. An epidemiological survey was done by means of a semi-structured interview of horses' caretaker, and contact tracing was done among people at the stable. Two tox gene-positive, toxin-producing C. diphtheriae belonged to sequence type (ST) 822. Other C. diphtheriae (n = 2, ST828) and C. ulcerans (n = 2, ST325 and ST838) isolates did not carry the tox gene. The epidemiological investigation explored numerous possible routes of transmission, but the definite source of infection was not identified. All established human contacts tested negative for diphtheriae. All horses recovered after antimicrobial treatment. Our study shows that C. diphtheriae and C. ulcerans may readily spread among horses at the same stable and complicate pastern dermatitis infections. These potentially zoonotic bacteria can cause outbreaks even in a country with a very low prevalence. Caretakers should be encouraged to wear gloves and practice good hand hygiene when treating infected skin lesions in horses.

Anthrax Disease amongst Livestock and the Associated Human Exposure in Northern Nigeria: An Incidence Report

Anthrax disease is of public health significance worldwide and has not been reported in Nigeria hence the present study which highlighted it’s incidence profile among animal population and the associated human exposure in Northern Nigeria. The incidence occurred in a multispecies livestock farm at Gajiri along Abuja-Kaduna express way in Suleja Niger state, Nigeria on the 13th day of July 2023 leading to sudden mortality of eight livestock. A remarkable observation was that the dead animals were bleeding from every external orifice without blood clotting. The farm attendants and management team alerted the Federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for urgent intervention, which prompted rapid laboratory investigation on the 14th July 2023. They collected samples from multiple species in the livestock farm and transported to National Veterinary Research Institute Plateau state for analysis. The samples yielded positive results for Anthrax. However, there are reports of human exposure, but they have reported no symptoms or mortality at the time of this report. Currently ongoing identification and contact tracing is being conducted for humans and other farm animals to prevent spread. Relevant authorities have taken necessary measures to quickly detect, control and contain any outbreak of Anthrax in the human population. Epidemiological tracing showed that the disease is not enzootic in the area and there was no evidence of anthropozoonotic transmission to animals. As the disease has not spread widely and has not affected humans in the area, it is recommended that animal carcasses be disposed of properly by either burning or burying them in a lime pit. Livestock attendants should always wear protective clothing and gloves while attending to farm animals. Ensuring decontamination of animal products and providing active immunization of domestic animals and people at high occupational risk is important. Thus excellent prognosis hinges on early detection and treatment of case.