Impact Of Training On Knowledge And Practices Of Nurses Regarding Hospital Infection Control In A Tertiary Care Centre.

Background and objective:Nurses provide the first-hand bedside care to the patients in a hospital thus have a direct role in hospital infection control. Thus to improve hygiene behaviour of staff, training sessions on hospital infection control is necessary. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of training on knowledge and practices regarding hospital infection control amongst nursing staff working in tertiary care centre. Method: The study included 89 nurses from different wards and I.C.U. A pre-test and a post-test was conducted with a set of 20 self designed multiple choice questions in three days session of training covering important aspects of hospital infection control. Improvement in pre-test and post test for individual candidate was assessed and statistical data analysis was done. Results: Response rate of the questionnare was 100%.The mean pre-test score was 9(S.D 3.06) while mean post-test score was 14(S.D 6.34). The difference in pre-test and post-test was statistically significant(P< 0.00001) taking 95% confidence interval. Interpretation and conclusion: Training sessions and workshops for healthcare workers conducted regularly will help curbing nosocomial infections and providing a better patient care.

Reduced susceptibility of carbapenem‑resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae to biocides: An emerging threat.

Dealing with carbapenem‑resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR‑Kp) strains, which are generally pan‑drug resistant, is an uphill task for health care professionals. Owing to limited therapeutic options and the possibility of development of resistance to commonly used biocides in hospital settings, CR‑Kp infections pose a serious threat of emergence of a dreaded pandemic. The aim of the study was to highlight the possibility of emergence of biocide resistance among CR‑Kp strains. A case study was conducted in a Super‑specialty Hospital in September 2015. A 65‑year‑old female patient post‑laparotomy was admitted to the General Intensive Care Unit of a Super‑specialty Hospital. CR‑Kp was isolated from the blood and mucus trap samples of this patient. Susceptibility testing of three commonly used biocides in our hospital, namely sodium hypochlorite (4% available chlorine), 5% w/v povidone iodine (0.5% w/v of available iodine) and absolute ethanol (99.9%), respectively, was carried out using K. pneumoniae ATCC 700603 as control. The test isolate showed reduced susceptibility to sodium hypochlorite in comparison to K. pneumoniae ATCC 700603. The possibility of emergence of biocide resistance among CR‑Kp strains poses a threat of disrupting our ongoing efforts for implementation of effective infection control measures.

Cryptococcus laurentii Fungemia.

In the last few years there has been an increasing incidence of infection due to non-neoformans Cryptococcus spp. especially in immunocompromised host. Cryptococcus laurentii is a non-neoformans Cryptococcus which has rarely been known to cause bacteremia and pulmonary infection in humans. Here we report a case of fungemia due to Cryptococcus laurentii.

Hydatid cyst of mediastinum.

We report a case of hydatid cyst of the mediastinum in a 32-year-old female patient who was admitted with chest pain. CT scan reported posterior mediastinal mass towards the right side. Surgical exploration revealed a loculated cyst in posterior mediastinum on the right side, adherent to the overlying lung and underlying bone. Posterolateral thoracotomy was performed for cyst aspiration and excision. The patient was discharged on albendazole.

Tubercular pancreatic abscess: A case report.

Primary involvement of the pancreas in bacterial and parasitic diseases is exceptional. Infection of the pancreas is usually secondary to necrosis and inflammation after serious necrotizing pancreatitis. Although a rare manifestation of a common disease, pancreatic tuberculosis can present to a clinician as a difficult diagnostic dilemma. The clinical manifestation may vary from painless obstructive jaundice to fever of unknown origin. Here, we report a case of pancreatic tuberculosis in a young alcoholic patient.

Comparison of Vitek Yeast Biochemical Card with conventional methods for speciation of Candida.

The ability of the Vitek Yeast Biochemical Card to identify yeast isolates was compared with conventional methods. Of the fifty yeast isolates tested same species identification was obtained in thirty-four isolates. The Vitek yeast biochemical card identified 13 isolates which could not be identified by the conventional tests. Though the Vitek Yeast biochemical card gave a good rapid identification the high cost of each test severely limits its routine use in most of the laboratories.

An epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis caused by coxsackie A24 variant.

An epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) caused by a variant of coxsackie A24 (cox A24) occurred in Delhi during August to September 1988. Cox A24 antigen was detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) in conjunctival cell smears of 13 of the 38 (34.2%) patients studied. Virus was isolated from conjunctival swabs in 11 (28.9%) patients and all isolates were neutralized by cox A24 antiserum. Five virus strains sent to Virology Division of Centres for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA, were confirmed as cox A24 variant. Enterovirus type 70 (EV70) was not demonstrable either by IFA or neutralization tests. Conjunctival swabs from 10 healthy laboratory controls did not show any evidence of EV70 or cox A24 virus or their antigens.

Cockroaches as vectors of pathogenic bacteria.

One hundred and thirty two cockroaches of species Blattella germanica--96 from hospital ward (test group) and 36 from residential areas (control group) were caught during Nov. 1985 to Nov. 1986. A variety of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria were isolated from test and control group of insects. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, and Micrococci were isolated only from the test group of cockroaches. A high percentage (98.95 per cent) of test cockroaches were found to be carriers of various microorganisms as compared to the control group (80.55 per cent), the difference being statistically significant (p less than 0.001). Quantitative analysis in this study revealed that higher number of microorganisms are carried by test group of insects in the hospital environment. This, thereby suggests that these insects can play an important role in the etiology of hospital acquired infections.

Susceptibility of clinical isolates to cephalexin, cefazolin and cefotaxime.

Three hundred and seventeen recent clinical isolates were tested for in vitro susceptibility to the three cephalosporins available in India--cephalexin, cefazolin and cefotaxime by the Kirby--Bauer disc diffusion method. Cefazolin was the most effective cephalosporin against Gram positive cocci (71.8% sensitive) followed by cefotaxime (62.7%) and cephalexin (52.7%). Cefotaxime was very effective against commonly isolated Gram negative bacilli with only 10 (8.8%) isolates being resistant to it while 44 (39%) and 65 (57.5%) were resistant to cefazolin and cephalexin, respectively. All isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to cephalexin and cefazolin and only 29 (32.6%) were sensitive to cefotaxime.