Sharp injuries: a cross-sectional study among health care workers in a provincial teaching hospital in China

BACKGROUND@#The objectives of this study are to investigate the incidence and reporting behavior of sharp injuries among healthcare workers (HCWs) and identify the risk factors associated with these injuries.@*METHODS@#A cross-sectional survey was conducted in February 2017 in a provincial teaching hospital in China. Data were collected from 901 HCWs using a self-administered questionnaire which included demographic information, experience, and reporting behavior of sharp injuries. Stepwise logistical regression was used to analyze the risk factors.@*RESULTS@#HCWs (248 [27.5%]) had sustained a sharp injury in the previous year. Factors including seniority, job category, title, education, department, and training programs were associated with the occurrence of sharp injuries. According to the stepwise logistical regression, seniority, and training programs were the risk factors associated with the occurrence of sharp injuries. Of 248 sharp injuries, 130 HCWs were exposed to blood. Only 44 (33.9%) HCWs reported their injuries to the concerned body. The main reasons for not reporting the sharp injuries were as follows: perception that the extent of the injury was light (30.2%), having antibodies (27.9%), and unaware of injury (16.3%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Sharp injuries in the studied hospital were common and were likely to be underreported. Therefore, an effective reporting system and sufficient education on occupational safety should be implemented by the relevant institutions. Moreover, it is important to take effective measures to manage sharp injuries in HCWs and provide guidance for their prevention.

Cloning and efficient prokaryotic expression of soluble stage-specific antigen cC1 from Cysticercus cellulosae / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To clone the coding gene of the stage-specific antigen cC1 from Cysticercus cellulosae and express high levels of soluble cC1 in E.coli.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cC1 gene was amplified from Cysticercus cellulosae by RT-PCR and cloned into pMD18-T vector, followed by subcloning into the prokaryotic expression plasmid pET28a. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) and the expression conditions were optimized. The expressed product was purified by Ni(+)-affinity chromatography, analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and identified with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The fragment length of the amplification product by RT-PCR was 1056 bp. Comparison of the amplified gene sequence with the cC1 gene in Genbank identified a samesense point mutation at 423 position in the gene cloned into the expression plasmids. After a 6-h induction with 0.05 mmol/L IPTG at 37 degrees celsius;, the expression of the 40 kd soluble fusion protein exceeded 60% of the total bacterial protein, and the fusion protein was recognized by Cysticercus-infected human sera. The purity of the fusion protein was about 94% after purification by affinity chromatography.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The stage-specific antigen cC1 from Cysticercus cellulosae has been successfully cloned and the soluble protein efficiently expressed in E.coli, which provides the basis for its further study and application.</p>