scholarly journals The sources of Hospital infection of wounds with Clostridium welchii

1958 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. L. Lowbury ◽  
H. A. Lilly
Keyword(s):  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Rectal Swab ◽  
Staph Aureus ◽  
The Road ◽  
Rainy Weather ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Operating Theatres ◽  
Plate Counts ◽  
Burns Unit ◽  
Extensive Burns

The air of operating theatres ventilated by powerful extractor fans was sampled during operations with special media for Cl. welchii and Staph. aureus, and also for total organisms. Counts made with the slit-sampler showed the presence of Cl. welchii in all samples in a range slightly higher than that of Staph. aureus (mostly between five and twenty-five colonies per 100 cu.ft.). There was no evidence of a build-up of either Cl. welchii or Staph. aureus during the course of operations, nor were there any consistent peaks of contamination during operations.Settle plates exposed on numerous days in the operating theatres showed similar counts of Cl. welchii and Staph. aureus—the latter slightly more abundant in this series. Settle-plate counts from many parts of the hospital and from the road outside provided evidence that airborne Cl. welchii comes into the hospital from outside, while Staph. aureus is contributed to the air inside the hospital. This view was supported by study with the slit-sampler and with settle plates in a dressing station ventilated with filtered air, where Cl. welchii was rarely found and Staph. aureus momentarily abundant during dressings; staphylococci but not Cl. welchii were dispersed by the operators in a mock operation. The numbers of airborne Cl. welchii inside and outside the hospital were higher in dry than in rainy weather.Of the patients in the Burns Unit 35% had at some stage Cl. welchii in their burns; contamination was commoner in the more extensive burns. In contrast to Staph. aureus, Cl. welchii was usually present in small numbers and for a short period.Cl. welchii was found in the burns of twenty out of thirty (66%) patients whose rectal swab taken on admission showed the presence of Cl. welchii; a significantly smaller proportion of patients whose rectal swabs were free from Cl. welchii picked up the organism while in hospital (eight out of thirty-two, 25%; x2 = 9.4, P < 0.01). This observation supports the view that burns and possibly other wounds acquire Cl. welchii by self-infection at least as often as from the environment. While it is obvious that plenum ventilation of operating theatres with filtered air is desirable, it is uncertain to what extent this will reduce the small hazard of post-operative gas gangrene.We wish to thank Miss G. Hogg and Mr L. Hurst, F.I.M.L.T. for technical assistance, the surgeons and nursing staff of the Birmingham Accident Hospital for their co-operation, Mr N. R. Gill for photography, and Professors A. A. Miles and C. L. Oakley for kindly sending us strains of Cl. welchii.

Seasonal Dynamics of Internode Length of Salix triandra L. (Salicaceae) Against the Background of Short-Term Atmospheric Drought

2021 ◽  
pp. 104-112
Author(s):  
Alexey A. Afonin
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Dynamics ◽  
Internode Length ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Sharp Change ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Endogenous Rhythms ◽  
Seasonal Trends ◽  
Rainy Weather ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Salix Triandra

Almond willow (Salix triandra L.) is a valuable basket species that is used to create plantings for various purposes. He occupies a special place in the system of the genus Salix. He can be used as a model object to identify patterns of morphogenesis of shoots. Object of research: model inbred population of almond willow in culture. Subject of research: seasonal dynamics of internode length on annual shoots of three-year-old seedlings willow of almond willow. The purpose of the research: to identify the seasonal dynamics of the length of internodes on annual shoots of almond willow against the background of a sharp change in early summer drought by cold rainy weather. Empirical methods for obtaining initial data: comparative-morphological. The obtained data were processed using the methods of analysis of dynamics series. It is found that seasonal trends in the dynamics of internode length are described by second-order regression equations with varying reliability. The configuration and topology of nonlinear seasonal trends are determined by individual differences between seedlings. The dynamics of deviations of internode length from seasonal trends correlates with the dynamics of hydrothermic conditions. Deviations in the length of internodes from seasonal trends are cyclical. The empirical series of deviations of the internode length from seasonal trends with high reliability are approximated by the sums of harmonic oscillations. The maximum contribution to the cyclical deviations of the internode length from seasonal trends is made by the rhythm with a period of fluctuations of 54 days. On most shoots, the influence of rhythms with a period of fluctuations of 36 and 27 days can be traced. Short-period rhythms detected on different shoots are irregular. In most observations, the specific rhythms of seasonal dynamics of internode length are determined by differences between shoots. The identified rhythms do not depend on hydrothermic conditions, on the length of shoots, on the length of internodes, or on seasonal trends in the dynamics of internode length. The hypothesis that the relationship between the dynamics of deviations in the length of internodes from seasonal trends and the dynamics of hydrothermic conditions is random is substantiated. Cyclicity deviations of internode length from seasonal trends are determined by endogenous rhythms of development.

scholarly journals Death as an Aesthetic Experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-104
Author(s):  
Leander Scholz ◽  
◽  
Anatoly Lipov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Medical Procedure ◽  
The Road ◽  
Western Art ◽  
Art Scene ◽  
Operating Theatres ◽  
Contemporary Artist ◽  
Funeral Homes ◽  
Ethical Requirement

The more intensely a person thinks about the final nature of life, the more he is bound to a moment in life that is limited in time. Death is a very personal and intimate process, which in most cases is not «beautiful». The reality of death in clinics, intensive care units and operating theatres is, by its human nature, cruel. The body at the «end of the road» is captured by funeral homes. Thus, death today is identical to a long path of suffering. The article is dedicated to the author's reflection on a project by the German artist Gregor Schneider, which caused sensation and fierce reaction in Western art circles and beyond the art scene, creating him a reputation as «the most terrible contemporary artist» who has violated «existing» restrictions that cannot be exceeded if we do not want to question our civilization. The artist's vision is to allow a terminally ill person to die as part of an art project that represents a confrontation with death and that can remove the horror of death. As part of the project, the dying person defines everything in advance. Instead of a mass medical procedure of the same type, death, modeled on the artist's skill, Schneider argues, will create humane places for death and contribute to the creation of a space where people can die with dignity, creating personal protection and ensuring the ethical requirement of free will and self-determination.

524 Effectiveness of Burns Wound Cleansing by Comparison of Prewash and Post Wash Swab Reports

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Sayed ◽  
S Jabeen ◽  
A Soueid
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Wound Management ◽  
Burn Patients ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Staph Aureus ◽  
Sex Type ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Burns Unit ◽  
Type Of Injury

Abstract Aim The main aim and objective were to optimise wound healing through infection prevention. This clinical audit aimed to investigate the effectiveness of burn wound cleansing in decreasing bacterial load by comparing pre-wash and post-wash swab results against local burn wound management and aseptic non touch technique (ANTT) guidelines. Method The audit was conducted retrospectively on children admitted to Burns Unit during August 2019, excluding resuscitation burn patients. Pre- and post-wash swabs taken on admission were included and the results obtained from Chameleon database. Data were collected on excel spread sheets including demographic variables such as age, sex, type of injury, percentage total body surface area (TBSA) and mechanism of injury. Data were analysed and results compiled. Results Fifty patients were admitted over a month period; amongst those 60% were male and 40% female of ages ranging from 5 months to 14 years. Scald (50%) was found to be the most common mode of injury followed by contact burn (36%) involving 0.30 to 9% TBSA. Among 50 patients, 30 (60%) showed no growth in pre-wash and 36 (72%) in post-wash swabs. However, 6% post-wash swabs that were initially negative later showed bacillus cereus, staph aureus, Enterobacter, and Acinetobacter. Similarly, another 4% post-wash swabs developed new microorganisms as compared to pre-wash swabs. Conclusions The most common bacteria colonising both pre- and post-wash swabs was staph aureus. Overall, cleansing had reduced the bacterial load significantly around 82% very effective. It is imperative to stick to local guidelines to reduce morbidity and mortality in burn patients.

scholarly journals Study on the Wind Environment of the Architecture Communities: Traditional Typical Min Nan Human Settlements’ Case

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yuan Miao ◽  
Shang-Chia Chiou
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Building Structures ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
The Road ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Road Width ◽  
Planning And Construction

In contrast to the modern urban planning, which can be done in short period in terms of the spatial qualified design, the traditional tribe needs longer period in terms of the villagers’ sense of community. The selection of location, planning, and construction reveals the wisdom of the former people’s use of the resourceful life experience. First, the paper employs PHOENICS to simulate the wind environments of two most representative patterns of rural settlements in the southern area of Southern Fujian, China. This was made to compare the different conditions caused by settlements of various architectural groups. Second, the engineering and construction aspects of settlements—such as the width of roads and building structures—will be further analyzed and examined as case study in attempt to discover the favorable environmental factors for generating winds as well as the construction dimension of the settlement, such as the road width and the architectural design. Finally, the paper tends to conclude with an energy conservation strategy applied to the construction of modern communities which has low density and small group buildings.

scholarly journals NDVI Identification and Survey of a Roman Road in the Northern Spanish Province of Álava

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Fuldain González ◽  
Félix Varón Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
The Road ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Spanish Province ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Great Advance

The Iter 34 (Antonine Itinerary XXXIV) is the name of the Roman road that crosses the province of Álava from west to east. Since no specific path was officially recognized before our study, the remains of the road did not benefit from heritage protection. In 2017, we made a project to determine the course of the road through rural Álava. In addition to traditional archaeological excavation and prospecting techniques, we used UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) to produce NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) orthomosaic plans of ten cultivated areas through which the road is conjectured to pass. NDVI orthomosaics let us see crop marks better than with conventional photography, allowing us to detect the crop marks during times of the year and in places where conventional photography would fail to show them. Thanks to the NDVI orthomosaics, remains of the road were identified not only in places where we knew it existed, but also in previously unknown locations. Furthermore, other archaeological features were identified close to the roadway. This technique heralds a great advance in non-invasive methods of archaeological surveying. By using precision farming techniques we have identified the course of the Roman road Iter 34 in several locations in a short period of time and with few resources.

scholarly journals Transfer of Staphylococcus aureus via nurses' uniforms

1973 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 799-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Hambraeus
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Airborne Particle ◽  
Burned Patient ◽  
Staph Aureus ◽  
Particle Tracer ◽  
Burns Unit ◽  
As If

SummaryThe contamination of gowns and uniforms worn in a burns unit and the transfer of patient's staphylococci by means of nurses' uniforms was investigated. The median values of staphylococci found on gowns and jackets worn during a routine nursing procedure were 3·0 × 104 and 1·4 × 103 respectively. From the results of model nursing experiments it appeared as if the fraction of staphylococci transferred from a patient's room to the air in a receiving room was 4 to 10 times less when protective gowns were worn than when no gowns were worn. The corresponding transfer directly to the model ‘patient’ was 100 times less. The protection afforded by a gown seemed mainly to be due to protection against contamination of the uniform worn underneath when nursing a burned patient. The discrepancy between the transfer of an airborne particle tracer and Staph. aurats-carrying particles earlier found in the ward could be explained by the dispersal of Staph. aureus from nurses' clothing.

scholarly journals Protective isolation in a burns unit: the use of plastic isolators and air curtains

1971 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. L. Lowbury ◽  
J. R. Babb ◽  
Pamela M. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Air ◽  
Hospital Environment ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Airborne Bacteria ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Air Curtain ◽  
Staph Aureus ◽  
Airborne Infection ◽  
Burns Unit ◽  
Open Ward

SUMMARYThe use of plastic isolators and of an ‘air curtain’ isolator for protection of patients against infection was studied in a burns unit.Preliminary bacteriological tests showed that very few airborne bacteria gained access to a plastic ventilated isolator; even when the filter and pre-filter were removed from the air inflow, settle-plate counts inside the isolator were much lower than those in the open ward, but the difference was smaller in tests made with an Anderson air sampler, which showed also that fewer large bacteria-carrying particles appeared inside the isolator than outside it. An open-topped isolator allowed virtually free access of bacteria from ambient air. The numbers of airborne bacteria inside an air curtain were appreciably lower than the counts of airborne bacteria in the open ward, but not as low as those in the plastic ventilated isolator.Controlled trials of isolators were made on patients with fresh burns of 4–30 % of the body surface; the patients were given no topical chemoprophylaxis against Staphylococcus aureus or Gram-negative bacilli. Patients treated in plastic isolators showed a significantly lower incidence of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa than those treated in the open ward; this protective effect was shown by isolators with or without filters or with an open top. Ventilated isolators, which protected patients against personal contact and airborne infection, gave a limited protection against multi-resistant ‘hospital’ strains of Staph. aureus, but no such protection was given by an open-topped isolator, which protected only against personal contact infection, or by air curtains, which protected only against airborne infection; the air curtain gave no protection against Ps. aeruginosa, and there was no evidence of protection by any isolator against Proteus spp. and coliform bacilli.Both the controlled trials and evidence from the bacteriology of air, hands, fomites and rectal and nasal swabs taken on admission and later, supported the view that Ps. aeruginosa is transferred mainly by personal contact, Staph. aureus probably by air as well as by contact and coliform bacilli mainly by self infection with faecal flora, many of which are first acquired from the hospital environment in food or on fomites.The use of plastic isolators is cumbersome, and of limited value except in the control of infection with Ps. aeruginosa. For this reason and because of the effectiveness of topical chemoprophylaxis such isolators are unlikely to have more than an occasional use in the treatment of burns. Though air curtains greatly reduce airborne contamination, their use in a burns unit does not appear to protect patients against infection when the alternative (and, for Ps. aeruginosa, more important) routes of contamination by personal contact and fomites are left open.

Behavioral Techniques in the Psychological Rehabilitation of Burn Patients

1981 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Wernick ◽  
Phillip J. Brantley ◽  
Robert Malcolm
Keyword(s):  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Maladaptive Behaviors ◽  
Burn Patients ◽  
Behavioral Program ◽  
Behavioral Techniques ◽  
Treatment Data ◽  
Fecal Soiling ◽  
Extensive Burns

Patients with extensive burns often develop maladaptive behaviors that interfere with their care and recovery. Behavioral intervention can be an important aid in eliminating problem behaviors that impede rehabilitation. A retarded, adult burn patient with several target problem behaviors (tantrums, removing catheters, fecal soiling and induced vomiting) is presented with pre- and post-treatment data demonstrating the value of these procedures. The role of the consultant is discussed in relation to the acceptance of behavioral techniques, the training of nursing personnel to implement a behavioral program, and the provision of technical assistance and support to unit staff.

scholarly journals Observations on the distribution ofStaphylococcus aureusin the atmosphere of a surgical ward

1962 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis M. Rountree ◽  
Mary A. Beard
Keyword(s):  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Staph Aureus ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Surgical Ward ◽  
Nasal Swabs ◽  
High Contamination Rate ◽  
Predominant Strain ◽  
Number Of Bacteria

The environment of two contiguous surgical wards was examined over a period of twelve months by means of a slit sampler, settle plates and blanket sweep plates. At the same time, nasal swabs were taken each week from the patients and all cases of sepsis examined bacteriologically.Phage typing of more than 3600 isolations ofStaph. aureusshowed that there was one predominant strain in the air, bedding, patients' noses and infected wounds.There was no relationship between the total number of bacteria in the ward air and the numbers ofStaph. aureus.The recovery of large numbers ofStaph. aureusfrom the air at certain periods was associated with a high contamination rate in the blankets and with an increased incidence of staphylococcal sepsis.Not all nasal carriers ofStaph. aureuscontaminated their bedding. There was evidence that some patients became nasal carriers of strains of staphylococci previously isolated from their bedding.Some evidence was obtained that blankets may play a role in the transmission of staphylococci from patient to patient.This work was supported by a grant from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Our thanks are due to Mrs Elisabeth Bradshaw for her technical assistance and to Prof. John Loewenthal for his interest and for permission to study his wards.

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