Indispensable yet invisible: A qualitative study of the roles of carers in infection prevention in a South Indian hospital.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the roles of patient carers in infection-related care on surgical wards in a South Indian hospital from the perspective of healthcare workers (HCWs), patients, and their carers. METHODS: Ethnographic study included ward-round observations (138 hours) and face-to-face interviews (44 HCWs, 6 patients/carers). Data (field notes, interview transcripts) were coded in NVivo 12 and thematically analyzed. Data collection and analysis were iterative, recursive, and continued until thematic saturation. RESULTS: Carers have important, unrecognized roles. At the study site, institutional expectations are formalized in policies, demanding a carer to always accompany in-patients. Such intense presence embeds families in the patient care environment, as demonstrated by their high engagement in direct personal (bathing patients) and clinical care (wound care). Carers actively participate in discussions on patient progress with HCWs, including therapeutic options. There is a misalignment between how carers are positioned by the organization (through policy mandates, institutional practices, and HCWs expectations), and the role that they play in practice, resulting in their role, though indispensable, remaining unrecognized. CONCLUSION: Current models of patient and carer involvement in infection prevention and control are poorly aligned with sociocultural and contextual aspects of care. Culture-sensitive infection prevention and control policies which embrace the roles that carers play are urgently needed.

Performance of polycaprolactone/TiO2 composite membrane for the effective treatment of dairy effluents.

This work is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to use polycaprolactone (PCL)-based membrane for the treatment of dairy wastewater. PCL is a biodegradable polymer with high biocompatibility and good oil resistance. The chlorine tolerance analysis of PCL-based membranes exhibited a good tolerance against chlorine. The PCL/TiO2 nanocomposite membrane with the addition of polyethylene glycol was prepared and tested for protein separation. The dependency of contact angle with time was analysed for the membrane, and the contact angle value reduced from 74.5 ± 2° to a steady value of 65 ± 2° in 120 s. The proteins were removed using a cross-flow filtration unit at an operating pressure of 0.4 MPa at room temperature with permeate flux of 10 L/m2 h and a relative permeate flux of about 0.10. The removal of proteins was measured qualitatively using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and quantitatively using Lowry's test. A percentage rejection of 97.6 was obtained and the native PAGE showed the complete removal of all the major proteins present in the milk sample.

Prevalence of gingival overgrowth induced by antihypertensive drugs: A hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND: Gingival overgrowth (GO) is a known side-effect of calcium channel blockers. Although there have been several case reports, few studies have examined the prevalence of nifedipine, diltiazem, and amlodipine. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for GO in patients treated with calcium channel blockers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in out patient Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Calicut. 133 patients taking antihypertensives were examined for the presence of GO using two different indices: Vertical GO in 6 points around each tooth and horizontal Miranda-Brunet index in the interdental area. Gingival index (GI), plaque index, and probing depth were also evaluated. RESULTS: The frequency of GO was significantly higher in nifedipine-treated cases than other drug groups. Frequency of GO was 75% for nifedipine, 31.4% for amlodipine and 25% for amlodipine + metoprolol. Higher gingival, plaque and calculus were observed in patients taking calcium channel blockers. Among the possible risk factors, only the GI showed a significant correlation with GO. CONCLUSIONS: Patients taking antihypertensives had poor oral hygiene. Patients taking nifedipine showed a higher frequency of GO. Gingival inflammation acts as a predisposing factor.

Ameloblastic fibrodentinoma presenting as a false gingival enlargement in the maxillary anterior region.

Ameloblastic fibrodentinoma is a rare benign mixed odontogenic neoplasm usually occurring in the first two decades of life. It is more common in males and the most common site of occurrence is in the mandibular premolar molar area. This report presents a case of ameloblastic fibrodentinoma in a 12-year-old boy in the maxillary anterior region, a less common site for the occurrence of ameloblastic fibrodentinoma. A 12-year-old boy presented with a midline diastema in 11 and 21 region and a swelling in the palatal aspect of 11 and 12. Intraoral periapical radiograph showed the presence of rarefaction of bone on the mesial aspect of the cervical and middle third of the root of 11. Excision biopsy was done. The specimen was processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Microscopic examination showed islands, chords and strands of odontogenic epithelium in a primitive ectomesenchyme resembling dental papilla. The odontogenic epithelium exhibited peripheral ameloblast-like and central stellate reticulum-like cells. The presence of dentinoid material was seen adjacent to the odontogenic epithelium in some foci. The lesion was diagnosed as ameloblastic fibrodentinoma.