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Background: This study was designed to determine the level of knowledge and the extent of practice of the components of essential new-born care (ENC), and the effects of a training programme on the knowledge and practice of ENC among nurses in rural primary health cares (PHCs) in Ebonyi state Nigeria. Methods: This study was a one group pre-test and post-test intervention design. The components of ENC considered were: New-born initiation of breastfeeding, thermoregulation, new-born cord care, newborn eye care, initiation of breathing and administration of vitamin K. A neonatal care knowledge and practice assessment (NCKPA) questionnaire tested for validity and reliability, with a Spearman’s correlation coefficient of 0.81, was used for data collection among the (48) available nurses (All female). Results: There was significant improvement in the level of knowledge and extent of practice of the components of ENC following the training programme. Despite the improvement, there were gaps in knowledge and practice of the components of ENC amongst the nurses in rural PHCs and affected were the level of knowledge of eye care 20 (41.6%) pre-intervention, and least knowledge of cord care 35 (72.9%) and eye care 45 (93.8%)-post-intervention. Conclusions: Increase in knowledge corresponded with increase in good practice of ENC. The concern with knowledge transfer and translation of knowledge into practice could be achieved by pre-service and in-service education, update courses and workshops, and this will empower the nurses, getting them familiar with current trends and practices for improved child survival rate.
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Background: Hand wash morale is changing among health workers and, despite many efforts; it is not always possible to achieve lasting improvement. Considering the fact that today’s preschoolers are tomorrow’s health workers, hand washing is one of the habits that should be strictly acquired earlier in life. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether hand washes morale among preschoolers can be improved by introducing a regular educational program. Methods: As a part of the collaboration between the County Hospital and an urban kindergarten, we have developed an interactive educational program that involves both health professionals and kindergarten teachers. The program disseminated information about hand washing and hand hygiene through children’s stories, songs, video films, hand washing puzzles, and board games. Kindergarten teachers held the training sessions twice a week. Before and after the introduction of the program, we examined the children’s hand washing patterns using a UV light kit. Results: Before the introduction of the educational program, only 12.3% of children were able to wash their hands properly. This figure increased to 44.3% after the introduction of the interactive educational program. There were no significant differences between boys and girls, neither in the pre-intervention nor in the post-intervention phase. Conclusions: Hand wash morale for preschool children can be improved through regular interactive educational programs. Through these, children can be induced to compete among themselves to have a cleaner hand. In our opinion, this can be transformed into a multiplier that needs to be further strengthened in the elementary school.
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Aims: To compare the antibiotic use, cost, and consumption before and after an implementation of an antibiotic-restriction program (ARP) in governmental hospitals setting in Lebanon. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study on hospitalized patients who were prescribed antibiotics prior to, and after the application of the ARP, was conducted over a three month period, between March 2013 and June 2013. Methodology: The studied population included patients on antibiotic therapy. The sample size that was enrolled was equal to 612 patients prior to ARP and 606 patients after ARP. Results: The average age of the patients was 34.6±23.5 years, 55.6% of whom were females, and 79.2% had no comorbidity. Respiratory diseases, and gynecological surgeries motivated the antibiotics prescriptions. The physicians prescribed combinations of intravenous antibiotics in 91% of the cases. The most frequently ordered antibiotics were second, third- generation cephalosporins, and penicillin derivatives. After ARP, the rate of restricted antibiotic use decreased by 11% (P<.0001), while the use of gentamicin increased with a potential for increased rates of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity; Prior to and after the ARP, a microbiological exam was done in 12.6% of cases, and 67.3% of the cases of prescribed antibiotics were sensitive. The expenditure of all, and restricted antibiotics decreased by 22.3% and 9% respectively. The cost savings were US$ 8099 per month. The compliance with the ARP by prescribers was very high (>90%). Conclusion: The ARP reduces the amount of antibiotic usage, cuts down the healthcare expenditure, and may prevent a higher prevalence of some resistant bacterial strains; it is, therefore, in the interest of policymakers to propose an antimicrobial stewardship program based on mHealth system that allows patients, and healthcare providers an on-line and mobile consultation.