Nosocomial Infections: Awareness and Practices of Nurses Regarding its Spread in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan

Introduction: The infections acquired in patients duringadmission in a hospital and the patients have no evidenceof infection before admission in hospital are known asnosocomial infections or hospital acquired infections. Theetiological organism may be bacterial, fungal, viral orparasitic, found in the air or on hospital items; spreading fromone person to another person. The main objective of currentstudy was to assess the knowledge and practices of nurseswith respect to the spread of hospital infections in a tertiaryhospital of Lahore.Material and methods: A cross sectional, descriptive studywas carried out in a tertiary hospital of Lahore, Pakistanduring a period of four months from June 2018 to September2018. Sample size was 120 and simple random sampling wasdone. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 21.Results: Most of the participants 115(95.8%) were female and5(4.2%) were male. It was revealed that nurses had enoughawareness about the spread of hospital infections. Out of120 participants, 39 (32.5%) were agree and 34(28.3%) werestrongly agree that they are aware of handwashing guidelines,but their practices to reduce the spread of hospital infectionwere not good since 38(31.7%) were neutral and 9(7.5%)were disagree to follow the recommended guidelines for usingalcohol based solutions or other antiseptics before and aftereach contact with patients.Conclusion: Nurses had a good knowledge regarding thespread of nosocomial infections, use of safety precautionsand use of alcohol based formulations but their practicesfor reducing the spread of hospital infections were not up tosatisfactory level.

Photographic Estimation of Intercanthal Width of Bangladeshi Women.

Background: Estimation of intercanthal width and biocular breadth from digital photography is important in the evaluation of several systemic syndromes, craniofacial abnormalities and in surgical treatments of post-traumatic telecanthus. Dysmorphologists employ canthal measurements in evaluating the degree of hypertelorism. So intercanthal width and biocular breadth values are very important for clinicians, ophthalmologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The reliability of estimation of intercanthal width from biocular breadth by using multiplication factor is high. Objective: To make an attempt to determine the multiplication factor for estimation of intercanthal width. Materials and method: This is a cross sectional study conducted in the Anatomy department of Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2010 to June 2011. One hundred Bangladeshi 25 to 45 years old women were selected purposively for the study. Results: The mean±SD intercanthal width was 3.456±0.3585 cm. Multiplication factor for measuring intercanthal width from biocular breadth (9.348±0.7174 cm) was 0.369±0.0232 cm. The mean±SD of estimated intercanthal width was 3.449±0.2647 cm. No significant difference was found between the measured and estimated intercanthal width. Conclusion: Multiplication factor can be used to determine intercanthal width in Bangladeshi women though agreement test would have been done to generalize the finding.

Stature estimation from tibial length.

Background and objectives: Stature of an individual is an important parameter of personal identification. In this study stature was estimated from the percutaneous measurement of length of Tibia in living. Methodology:400 students (200 male and 200female) in age group of 18-21 years were studied. Heights of the subject in standing position, percutaneous length of Tibia were measured on both sides. Regression formulae and Multiplication factors were derived for both sexes for right and left Tibia for estimation of stature Results: In both sexes stature estimated by regression formulae for percutaneous length of tibia was similar to average measured stature with an error of less than 1 cm. In both sexes stature estimated by derived multiplication factor for length of tibia was similar to average measured stature with an error of less than 1cm. There was no significant difference in the percutaneous measurement of length of right and left tibia in both sexes, thus showing bilateral symmetry in the length of Tibia in both sexes. Interpretation and Conclusion: This study will be of help to the forensic experts when whole leg only is available for forensic investigation for estimation of stature and in anthropological studies. Regression formulae are more dependable than multiplication factor for estimation of stature.

Estimation of stature by percutaneous measurements of distal half of upper limb (forearm & hand).

Determination of stature from skeletal / dismembered remains is not new for Forensic Experts. In this study efforts are made to reconstruct stature from distal half of upper limb (forearm & hand), for which standing height and distance between tips of olecranon process and middle finger of right and left arms are measured in 100 adult male and female students of 19 -25 years of age. These measurements are analyzed statistically to establish relation between stature and forearm and hand in form of regression equation and multiplication factor. Multiplication factors are also calculated in the study and these are 3.67 for male and 3.73 for female but their results are less compatible with regression equations.

Estimation of stature by anthropometric examination of forearm and hand.

As the incidences of crime are going on increasing, the matter of identification of an individual is becoming prime importance now days. Estimation of stature forms important criteria for establishing individuality of the person and require special attention in cases when bodies are found in mutilated state and only fragment are discovered. The mutilation of dead body is done intentionally by criminals who wants to destroy all traces of identity and thus facilitates the disposal of the dead. In a country like India, animals and vultures may attack a dead body and mutilate in a very short time when exposed in open field. 200 young and healthy male medical students aged between 18 to 25 years having no disease or deformity were examined anthropometrically in respect to their height and length of right forearm and hand. The stature varied from 149.13 cm to 177.33 cm with mean value 164.97 cm and the standard deviation 5.52 cm. On the other hand mean length of the forearm and hand was found to be 45.47 cm and the multiplication factor is calculated as 3.899 cm.