Relationship between environmental conditions and nosocomial infection rates in intensive care unit

Intensive care units [ICUs] are the most important departments of a hospital regarding nosocomial infections. Many risk factors contribute to the infection rates in ICUs. These risk factors can be related to the patient or environment. Environmental conditions are important in infection control. Nurse/patient ratio has been shown to be related to nosocomial infection rates. This study aimed to investigate the effects of some of these factors on nosocomial infection rates in ICUs. The effects of changes in environmental conditions, such as area around the patient bed, temperature, humidity, and nurse/ patient rates on nosocomial infection rates were examined retrospectively in the ICU from January 2012 to June 2014 in this study

The total infection rate, ventilator associated pneumonia rate, and catheter-related urinary tract infection rate were found to be 7.67%, 14.53%, and 5.47%, respectively. Despite a statistically significant relationship between all infection rates and the size of the area around the patient bed, no relationship was detected between the nurse/patient rates and the infection rates. Between temperature and humidity, only humidity had a statistically significant relationship with catheter-related urinary tract infection rates

Nurse/patient ratio is important in ICUs but the other factors related to the quality of the work and infection control are also important. The size of the area around the patient bed has been shown to have an important effect on infection control. This study reported a direct relationship of the size of the area around the patient bed with the infection rates. More studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between temperature and humidity and nosocomial infection rates

Effect of single mismatches at 3'-end of primers on polymerase chain reaction

Objective and Method - To investigate the effect of three different mismatches [G/T, G/A or G/G] at the 3'-end of a primer to amplify a 268 bp [base pair] region of the human beta-globin gene using different annealing temperatures [45 to 65°C]. Results - The primer with the G/T mismatch was as efficient as the normal primer [G/C match] in the amplification of a 268 bp product at all temperatures tested. However, the primers having G/A or G/G mismatches at the 3'-end did not produce any specific polymerase chain reaction [PCR] fragment at all the annealing temperatures used, except a barely detectable 268 bp product for the G/G mismatch at 45 and 50°C. Conclusion - We conclude that our PCR system was refractory to amplification when one of the primers contained a G/A or G/G mismatch at the 3'-end with template DNA

Incidence and genotype distribution of alpha-thalassemias in Kuwait

By the screening of 345 consecutive cord blood samples for hemoglobin Bart's at birth, the incidence of detectable alpha-thalassaemia among newborn Kuwaitis was estimated at 4.6% [16/345]. To determine the genotypes, DNA analysis was performed by Southern blot hybridization for the 16 samples that screened positive and for 20 consecutive samples that were negative. Of the 16 samples, 6 [1.73%] contained one gene deletion [-alpha/alpha alpha] and 9 [2.6%] contained deletion of two [-alpha/ -alpha] alpha-globin genes. In addition, a considerable proportion [4/ 20] of the consecutive samples with no detectable Hb Bart's showed a silent carrier genotype [-alpha/alpha alpha]. Using these data, the frequency of [-alpha/] haplotype is estimated at 0.16%. We conclude that the screening of alpha-thalassaemia at birth by Hb Bart's is inadequate for the Kuwaiti population due to the high proportion of samples with one gene deletion [-alpha/alpha alpha] that contained no detectable Hb Bart's