Biofilm formation capacity in common SCCmec types of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from hospitalized patients and health-care workers in northwest of Iran

The main objective of the study was to find out the contamination of different types of microbial organisms and their resistance pattern on the dresses and stethoscopes of the health care workers in order to evaluate the risk of transmission of microbial organisms and its consequences on safety of the patient and control of hospital acquired infections (HAIs). Swabs were taken from the dresses of 100 different healthcare workers from 4 different areas namely collar, pocket, sleeves and sides and 100 stethoscopes (diaphragm) were tested for bacteriological analysis using standard techniques. Then each health care worker were given a structured questionnaire and requested to fill the form which includes his or her speciality/unit, cadre, practice of hand hygiene, white-coat or uniform usage (Example: duration of usage, frequency of washing, type of washing etc). The collar and pockets were found to be the most contaminated areas. Gram-positive cocci such as Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CONS) were the important organisms isolated from the dresses and stethoscopes of health care workers followed by Gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella species. Among the microbial organisms, Staphylococcus aureus and CONS were resistant to the drugs like Co-trimoxazole and Penicillin-G. Organisms isolated from the dresses and stethoscopes of health care workers could be a source of infection to immunocompromised patients. Hence, frequent washing of the dresses and strict disinfectant practices of the stethoscopes will minimize the contamination with microbial organisms and the patient safety is improved in the hospital environment.

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Supporting Health-Care Workers and Patients in Quarantine Wards: Evidence From a Survey of Frontline Health-Care Workers and Inpatients With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.705354 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Ting Zhou ◽

Ruiyuan Guan ◽

Susan L. Rosenthal ◽

Scott Moerdler ◽

Ziqi Guan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

High Risk ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Coping Resources ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Psychological Stressors ◽

Care Workers

Objective: Frontline health-care workers and patients with COVID-19 have been identified as high-risk groups for psychological problems. Experience of working or staying in quarantine wards generated psychological stressors for health-care workers and patients with COVID-19. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological symptoms of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the health-care workers treating them during the outbreak period, examine the effects of psychological stressors on mental health in both populations and perceived coping resources for both sides.Methods: Three hundred and eleven health-care workers working in a COVID-19 designated hospital in Wuhan, China, and 148 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the same hospital participated in this cross-sectional survey conducted in February 2020. Psychological symptoms, psychological stressors, and perceived coping resources were reported by both groups.Results: Thirty-three percent of health-care workers and 35.2% of patients with COVID-19 had significant psychological symptoms that were indicative of a high risk for psychological disorders. Pandemic-related psychological stressors contributed to psychological symptoms for both populations. Concern about patients was one aspect of psychological stressors of frontline health-care workers and both groups perceived support from the opposite side as an important external coping resource.Conclusion: The results shed light on the need to provide psychological support to both frontline health-care workers and patients with COVID-19 and suggest enhancing the treatment alliance might be effective to improve mental health for both populations during the crisis.

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Large Epidemiological Influenza A Outbreak in a Teaching Hospital from Guatemala City

ISRN AIDS ◽

10.5402/2012/638042 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Carlos Mejía ◽

Monica Silvestre ◽

Iris Cazali ◽

Judith García ◽

Ruth Sánchez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Teaching Hospital ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Influenza A ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Severe Malnutrition ◽

Guatemala City ◽

Aids Patients ◽

Barrier Methods ◽

Care Workers

Objective. To describe the characteristics and interventions to control a large epidemiological Influenza A Outbreak. Methods. During the months of February to April 2006, a large outbreak of Influenza A was detected, which affected Health Care Workers and hospitalized patients in a large teaching Hospital in Guatemala City. Interventions to interrupt transmission were implemented and included barrier methods (N95 masks, respiratory isolation measures, etc.) and enhanced hand hygiene, vaccination of healthy Health Care Workers (HCW), restrictions for patient visits. Results. From February to April 2006, 59 hospitalized patients diagnosed with Influenza A. 19 AIDS patients (mortality: 71%) and 5/40 (12.5%) in other diseases: cancer (3), severe cardiac failure (1) and severe malnutrition (1). The attack rate at day 20 in doctors and medical students was 21% while in other HCW it was 10.5%. Within 3 weeks of the beginning of the plan, deaths were stopped and no more cases in HCW were detected after 3 additional weeks. Conclusion. A rapid, comprehensive plan for the control of nosocomial epidemic Influenza A outbreaks is essential to limit severe morbidity and mortality in hospitals who attend large immunocompromised populations, including AIDS patients. HCW regular vaccinations programs are mandatory.

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Clinical Characteristics and Mortality of Health-Care Workers With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection in Mexico City

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciaa1465 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lorena Guerrero-Torres ◽

Yanink Caro-Vega ◽

Brenda Crabtree-Ramírez ◽

Juan G Sierra-Madero

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Mexico City ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Model ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Care Workers ◽

Specific Occupation ◽

Potential Factors

Abstract Background We evaluated the risk of death for health-care workers (HCW) with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Mexico City during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and describe the associated factors in hospitalized HCW, compared with non-HCW. Methods We analyzed data from laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases registered from 27 February–31 August 2020 in Mexico City’s public database. Individuals were classified as non-HCW or HCW (subcategorized as physicians, nurses, and other HCW). In hospitalized individuals, a multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the potential factors associated with death and compare mortality risks among groups. Results A total of 125 665 patients were included. Of these, 13.1% were HCW (28% physicians, 38% nurses, and 34% other HCW). Compared with non-HCW, HCW were more frequently female, were younger, and had fewer comorbidities. Overall, 25 771 (20.5%) were treated as inpatients and 11 182 (8.9%) deaths were reported. Deaths in the total population (9.9% vs 1.9%, respectively; P < .001) and in hospitalized patients (39.6% vs 19.3%, respectively; P < .001) were significantly higher in non-HCW than in HCW. In hospitalized patients, using a multivariate model, the risk of death was lower in HCW in general (odds ratio [OR], 0.53) than in non-HCW, and the risks were also lower by specific occupation (OR for physicians, 0.60; OR for nurses, 0.29; OR for other HCW 0.61). Conclusions HCW represent an important proportion of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico City. While the mortality risk is lower in HCW compared to non-HCW, a high mortality rate in hospitalized patients was observed in this study. Among HCW, nurses had a lower risk of death compared to physicians and other HCW.

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Discourse on hygiene between hospitalized patients and health care workers as an accepted norm: Making it legitimate to remind health care workers about hand hygiene

American Journal of Infection Control ◽

10.1016/j.ajic.2019.06.021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 61-67

Author(s):

Anat Gesser-Edelsburg ◽

Ricky Cohen ◽

Mina Zemach ◽

Adva Mir Halavi

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Care Workers

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Lassa fever coinfection with COVID-19 among health care workers: Report of two cases

Annals of Medical Research and Practice ◽

10.25259/anmrp_15_2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 8

Author(s):

Chukwuyem Abejegah ◽

Sampson Omagbemi Owhin ◽

Abidoye Tolani Abiodun ◽

Bamidele O. Adeniyi

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Risks ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Lassa Fever ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

North Central ◽

Care Workers ◽

Practice Of Medicine ◽

Southwest Nigeria

Lassa fever (LF) coinfection with hepatitis B and HIV has been reported among hospitalized patients in Southwest Nigeria and HIV patients coinfected with COVID-19 have been described among hospitalized patients in North Central Nigeria, no study has reported cases of coinfection of Lassa disease and COVID-19 among health care workers (HCWs) worldwide. A case report of two HCWs who were infected with both LF virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus at same time and were successfully managed without any sequelae. Both cases presented with typical signs of LF with COVID-19 suspected, they were promptly diagnosezd with positive outcomes after treatment. While case 1 became negative for LF virus and SARS-CoV-2 after 6 and 30 days, respectively, case 2 became negative for both viruses after 14 and 32 days, respectively. The diagnosis of LF-COVID-19 coinfection in HCWs is a frightening dimension to the health risks faced by HCWs, therefore, HCWs now more than ever before want to know what comes next and how safe is the practice of medicine.

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Are personal accessories safe in hospital settings?

Journal of Chitwan Medical College ◽

10.3126/jcmc.v4i2.10858 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 29-31

Author(s):

U Maharjan ◽

L Rajbanshi ◽

G Gurung ◽

R Gautam ◽

HP Nepal

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Patient Contact ◽

Coagulase Negative Staphylococci ◽

Medical College ◽

Direct Patient Contact ◽

Care Workers ◽

Breeding Grounds ◽

Hygiene Compliance

The main goal of this study was to find out whether personal accessories of Health Care Workers (HCWs) harbored microbes which would inhibit good hand hygiene, and would act as breeding grounds for various disease causing microorganisms. Twenty six culture swabs were taken from the bangles, watches and rings of HCWs. We observed the growth of micrococcus species and coagulase negative staphylococci in 50 % of the samples. Of the positive bacterial growth, 45.5% were in bangles, 60% in watches and 40% in rings. Health Care workers have solemn responsibility to safeguard their patients as well as themselves by complying with good hand hygiene compliance by not wearing these accessories during direct patient contact and washing their hands according to WHO Hand Hygiene guidelines. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v4i2.10858 Journal of Chitwan Medical College 2014; 4(2): 29-31

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