Knowledge and Practice of Healthcare Workers in Diagnostic Radiology Department Towards Ionizing Radiation

@#Introduction: The use of ionizing radiation in diagnostic radiography might lead to hazards such as genetic work practices on radiation protection could minimize these risks. Thus. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the knowledge and use of radiation safety precautions among healthcare workers (HCWs) of the Diagnostic Radiology Department who are exposed to ionizing radiation in the workplace. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 93 HCWs from Egypt. Data collection was through a quasi-self-administered questionnaire and performance checklist. Safety measures in different units of the Diagnostic Radiology Department were assessed using a workplace observation checklist. Results: More than 90% of the study participants had good knowledge about radiation hazards, and all HCWs reported good knowledge about exposure dose and monitoring. Furthermore, 87% of participants had good knowledge of personal protective equipment (PPE), and 74.2% adequately used PPE during work. All doors and walls of Diagnostic Radiology Department units were composed of lead material, and a radiation safety officer was available. Conclusion: The majority of HCWs were aware of occupational health and safety measures and had good knowledge about radiation hazards. All Diagnostic Radiology Departments need to continue professional development by providing more workshops, training courses, preparation, and posters on the protection and safety toward ionizing radiation regarding the most recent regulations to improve the knowledge and performance of their staff.

Improving patients' satisfaction and adherence to health insurance clinics of Sharkia Branch, Egypt

Improving utilization, satisfaction and adherence to a good quality health insurance services is a main target of the recent health policy in Egypt. 1- To explore patients' satisfaction, adherence and suggestions. 2- To design and implement a suitable improving intervention not based on increasing drugs or investigations. 3- To evaluate the effect of this intervention. - Interventional study comparing the post- interventional satisfaction and adherence rates with pre-interventional levels on two multistage random samples of patients utilizing Sharkia main branch outpatient clinics of health insurance, Egypt. The pre-intervention sample was 186 and post-intervention was 194 patients. Initial situation analysis and development of a customer-based evaluation questionnaire were followed by a pre-intervention survey. Based on the results of pre-intervention survey, intervention was designed and implemented. The intervention was training of physicians and nurses on communication skills and ethical consideration, improving waiting environment and making administrative requirements easier. Effect of intervention was evaluated one year later by the same questionnaire. Significant improvement of satisfaction with diagnosis explanation, treatment explanation, keeping privacy, stress on follow up and doctor-patient relationship. Satisfaction with the cleanness and width of waiting area, availability of more seats, suitable drinking water and water closets, waiting period, working hours, administrative steps and clerks communication improved significantly. The overall satisfaction with medical session increased from 57.3% to 73.4% and with environmental and administrative aspects from 43% to 63% and the adherence improved significantly from 87.1% to 95.9%. Simple multi-faceted interventions based on communication, environment and administration can improve patients' satisfaction and adherence to the health insurance services and is recommended to be considered first in improving strategies

De quervain's tenosynovitis and occupation: an epidemiological study

A cross - sectional study was carried out in five different occupational settings in City to determine the prevalence of de Quervain's tenosynovitis among workers performing repetitive hand and thumb movements and to identify the potential associated risk factors. Washer women, brick layers, nurses and computer keyboard operators were selected randomly as the exposed group and compared with a group of randomly selected non-exposed workers. A total number of one-hundred and fifty six workers were interviewed using a preconstructed questionnaire. Those workers who were diagnosed as de Quervain's tenosynovitis by clinical manifestations and positive Finklestein's test were subjected to magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] of the wrist. The results revealed that the highest prevalence of de Quervain's tenosynovitis was among washer women [36.4%] and brick layers [30.8%] followed by nurses [17.6%] then computer keyboard operators [15.3%] and the least was 1.3% among the non-exposed group. De Quervain's tenosynovitis symptoms were more frequently reported among exposed workers [59%] compared to the non-exposed [7.7%]. Among those complaining of symptoms suggestive of de Quervain's tenosynovitis, 12.8% were diagnosed as de Quervain's disease by Finklestein's test. MR imaging revealed that increased tendon thickness and thickening and edema of the synovial sheath were the most reliable findings. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the type of current occupation, actual hours worked per day, older age and female gender were likely to be associated with de Quervain's tenosynovitis. In conclusion, exposure to heavy manual work load in occupations that need repetitive hand motions alone or with forceful squeezing, forceful gripping and/or forceful grasping and turning were associaled with high prevalence of de Quervain's tenosynovitis. This condition was also related more to age, sex and actual hours worked per day. So, administrative regulations and surveillance for de Quervain's tenosynovitis in the work place may be of great benefit for early referral of cases for treatment and to reduce the occurrence of the condition

Work stress among a group of nurses at Zagazig University Hospitals; a cross sectional study

Nursing is an extremely stressful occupation. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and the possible risk factors of work stress and to identify some of its physical and psycho-behavioral health effects among nurses at Zagazig University Hospitals. 108 nurses were randomly selected from four different departmental strata, where each stratum had nearly the same working conditions, and a control group composed of 100 apparently healthy subjects were selected from the administrative departments of the Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University. All subjects were interviewed using a pre-constructed questionnaire; furthermore, they were investigated by measuring their blood pressure and random blood glucose level during work time. The highest percent of the studied nurses were found to have moderate stress [65.7%]; moreover, a very remarkable percent of them [13.9%] suffered from severe stress according to the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale. Working at Causality, Intensive Care, and Emergency Departments, problems with supervisors, excess work load as well as excess working hours, young age, residing away from the hospitals, rotatory work shifts, and low job rank along with short duration of employment with insufficient experience were found to be the most significant risk factors associated with stress among the studied nurses. Moreover, the studied nurses showed a significantly higher prevalence of both short and long term physical and psycho-behavioral stress health effects compared to the control group. It could be concluded that work stress is a major and progressive problem that endangers the health of nurses and the quality of health care provided to the clients at Zagazig University Hospitals, which points to the importance of applying a suitable stress reduction program for proper control

Denever developmental screening test [DDST] of preschool children in Assiut city

The study included 560 children aged 12-60 months recruited from 12 day care centers representing the old and the new districts of Assiut City. The nutritional status of the children was assessed by the weight for height and the height for age ratios. All studied children were subjected to DDST. The DDST was abnormal in 13% and questionable in 3.5% of the studied children. Children from the old district of the city showed a significantly higher frequency of abnormal DDST [18.9%] than those from the new one [4.6%]. This is true for the all four basic facets of the DDST. There was a significant association between malnutrition and abnormal DDST. Also low level of mothers education and large family size were accompanied by a significant increase in the percentage frequency of abnormal DDST