yield of medical monitoring of staff employed in institutional catering services in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The four-year employment medicals conducted on 1734 catering staff at military restaurants under the remit of the Preventive Medicine Sub-Division [PMSD] of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital, were reviewed to assess the yield and justify this preventive medicine program. Various forms of medicals conducted by PMSD on catering employees in four years [September 1993-August 1997] were retrospectively analysed. A sample of 1000 consecutive stool/ rectal swabs were examined for the relative frequencies of intestinal pathogens. There were 3558 physical, 2278 chest x-ray, 7194 stool, 6884 rectal swab and 3535 "other" examinations in the period. Those infected were 546 and six of them were found totally unfit. The relative prevalence of enteric pathogens encountered were: Trichuris trichuria [1.8%], Giardia lamblia [1.4%], Shigella flexneri [0.7%], Campylobacter spp [0.5%], Entamoeba histolytica [0.4%], Decrocelium detriticum [0.4%] and Shistosomia mansoni [0.1%]. Whereas the small number found totally unfit would make one think this exercise has a low yield, the fact that potential disease transmission, especially food poisoning outbreaks, can be averted justifies the importance of this preventive strategy

Ensuring food safety in institutions through catering employee health monitoring

The employment medicals carried out by the preventive Medicine Sub-Division of the Riyadh Military Hospital on catering employees in locations under its remit from September 1993-December 1996 were reviewed in order to assess the yield and justify the need for this aspect of occupational health programme. Out of 1888 employees screened during the period only 6 were found unfit. A prospective analysis of stools from 1000 consecutive catering medicals from this largely expatriate staff showed an infection rate of 9.8%. The most prevalent helminths were Trichuris trichiura [1.8%], hookworm [1.5%] and Ascaris Lumbricoides [1.2%]; under protozoa was Giardia Lamlia [1.4%]; whereas the bacteria were mostly of salmonella species [1.7%]. Though the number found unfit was small, the prevention, by screaming these workers, of the transmission of these pathogens to the population they serve through food contamination, justifies the need for this health monitoring programme

Non-01 vibrio cholerae diagnosed at Riyadh armed forces hospital

This is to document a rare case of non-01 Vibrio cholerae extra-intestinal infection diagnosed in an immunocompromised patient. The source of infection could not be identified

Needlestick/sharps injury: an occupational health hazard of hospital workers

To analyze a one-year record of needlestick/sharps injuries that were reported at Riyadh Military Hospital, Staff Health and Preventive Medicine Clinics with a view to discern certain aspects of the epidemiology of this occupational health hazard in this hospital setting. Retrospective analysis of cases of needlestick/sharps injury reporting daily at both clinics were obtained from the clinic records. Riyadh Military Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Preventive Medicine Sub-Division. Ninety seven reported needlestick/sharps injury cases by staff [nurses, doctors, etc] working in different hospital sites were analyzed from clinic records for January-December 1994. Identified were the types of sharps and the activities of staff when incidents occurred. Nurses [58.8%] and doctors [17.5%] were mostly affected in incidents which occurred mainly in the wards [48.5%] and theatres [13.4%]. Needles [72.2%] were the most common sharps. Using the syringe to withdraw from or adminster to the patients were more common [30.9%] than other activities such as disposal of needles [17.5%], suturing [15.4%] and cleaning waste bags [13.4%]. Dealing with this occupational hazard needs the adoption of two complementary preventive strategies for bloodborne pathogens vis: primary prevention through the adoption of universal precautions and secondary prevention by active and/or passive immunization of health care workers