Impact of the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in the home on reduction in probability of infection by respiratory and enteric viruses

2015 ◽  
Vol 143 (15) ◽  
pp. 3335-3341 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. TAMIMI ◽  
S. MAXWELL ◽  
S. L. EDMONDS ◽  
C. P. GERBA

SUMMARYThe goal of this study was to determine the reduction in risk of infection by viruses with the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, used in addition to routine hand washing, in family members in households. A quantitative microbial risk model was used to determine the probability of infection from the concentration of virus on the hands. The model incorporated variation in hand size, frequency of touching orifices (nose, mouth, eyes), and percent transfer to the site of infection, as well as, dose-response for each virus. Data on the occurrence of virus on household members' hands from an intervention study using MS-2 coliphage was used to determine the reduction of viruses on the hands pre- and post-intervention. It was found that the risk of rhinovirus, rotavirus or norovirus infection after the intervention was reduced by 47–98% depending upon the initial concentration of virus on the hands.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Schoeppe ◽  
Jo Salmon ◽  
Susan L. Williams ◽  
Deborah Power ◽  
Stephanie Alley ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Interventions using activity trackers and smartphone apps have demonstrated their ability to increase physical activity in children and adults. However, they have not been tested in entire families. Further, few family-centred interventions have actively involved both parents, and assessed intervention efficacy separately for children, mothers and fathers. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the short-term efficacy of an activity tracker and app intervention to increase physical activity in the entire family (children, mothers and fathers). METHODS This was a pilot single-arm intervention study with pre-post measures. Between 2017-2018, 40 families (58 children aged 6-10 years, 39 mothers, 33 fathers) participated in the 6-week Step it Up Family program in Queensland, Australia. Using commercial activity trackers combined with apps (Garmin Vivofit Jr for children, Vivofit 3 for adults), the intervention included individual and family-level goal-setting, self-monitoring, performance feedback, family step challenges, family social support and modelling, weekly motivational text messages, and an introductory session delivered face-to-face or via telephone. Parent surveys were used to assess intervention efficacy measured as pre-post intervention changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children, mothers and fathers. RESULTS Thirty-eight families completed the post intervention survey (95% retention). At post intervention, MVPA had increased in children by 58 min/day (boys: 54 min/day, girls: 62 min/day; all P < .001). In mothers, MVPA increased by 27 min/day (P < .001), and in fathers, it increased by 31 min/day (P < .001). Furthermore, the percentage of children meeting Australia’s physical activity guidelines for children (≥60 MVPA min/day) increased from 34% to 89% (P < .001). The percentage of mothers and fathers meeting Australia’s physical activity guidelines for adults (≥150 MVPA min/week) increased from 8% to 57% (P < .001) in mothers, and from 21% to 68% (P < .001) in fathers. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that an activity tracker and app intervention is an efficacious approach to increasing physical activity in entire families to meet national physical activity guidelines. The Step it Up Family program warrants further testing in a larger, randomised controlled trial to determine its long-term impact. CLINICALTRIAL No trial registration as this is not an RCT. It is a pilot single-arm intervention study


Author(s):  
Caterina De Sarro ◽  
Rosa Papadopoli ◽  
Vincenza Cautela ◽  
Carmelo Giuseppe Angelo Nobile ◽  
Claudia Pileggi ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Schönning ◽  
Therese Westrell ◽  
Thor Axel Stenström ◽  
Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen ◽  
Arne Bernt Hasling ◽  
...  

Dry urine-diverting toilets may be used in order to collect excreta for the utilisation of nutrients. A quantitative microbial risk assessment was conducted in order to evaluate the risks of transmission of infectious disease related to the local use of faeces as a fertiliser. The human exposures evaluated included accidental ingestion of small amounts of faeces, or a mixture of faeces and soil, while emptying the storage container and applying the material in the garden, during recreational stays to the garden, and during gardening. A range of pathogens representing various groups of microorganisms was considered. Results showed that 12-months' storage before use was sufficient for the inactivation of most pathogens to acceptable levels. When working or spending time in the garden the annual risk of infection by Ascaris was still slightly above 10-4 in these scenarios, although the incidence rate for Ascaris is very low in the population in question. Measures to further reduce the hygienic risks include longer storage, or treatment, of the faeces. The results can easily be extended to other regions with different incidence rates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-47
Author(s):  
Pariyana Yana ◽  
Mariatul Fadillah ◽  
Zulkarnain ◽  
Apriyani Supia Dewi ◽  
Rani Anggarini

Covid-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeCoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.Various stepshave been taken to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic that is currentlyhappening in Indonesia. Despite all the efforts of the government and media to educatethe public, the increase in the number of daily cases in Indonesia has not shown adecline. This encourages researchers to assess the level of public knowledge andperceptions because factors have an influence on individual health behavior that cancontribute to pandemic control efforts. This research uses study method observationaldescriptive. The population in this study were 343 people who filled out a researchquestionnaire conducted by the IKM-IKK FK Unsri department. For 251 respondents whofilled out the online questionnaire completely, the mean age was 23.78 ± 7.46, 63.7%female, 63.7% college graduates, 77.7% Muslim, and the majority of occupations arecollege students and students (54.6%). In the assessment of knowledge, 137 people(35.7%) had a good level of knowledge with a mean valueknowledge 13.25 ± 3.2. Themajority of respondents have a good perception, namely 249 people (99.2%) with morethan half showing a positive perception of the risk of infection if not taking precautions,the importance of wearing masks and physical distancing, hand washing behavior, self-isolation, and consumption of nutritious food during the Covid-19 pandemic..


2021 ◽  
pp. 112972982110396
Author(s):  
Andrea Sansalone ◽  
Raffaello Vicari ◽  
Fabio Orlando ◽  
Alessandro Dell’Avo ◽  
Silvia Giuffrida ◽  
...  

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of needle-free connectors to maintain Central Venous Catheter—CVC patency. Background: Loss of patency is a common complication associated with CVC. For patients, this can be stressful and painful, and can result in a delay in infusion therapy. Pressure-activated anti-reflux needle-free connectors are one of the most modern devices; however, no studies have compared this connector with the open-system three-way stopcock in terms of the incidence of CVC occlusion. Methods: This study is a prospective before and after intervention study. From March to August 2018, an observation phase was conducted with the three-way stopcock as the standard central venous catheter hub and closure system (phase 1). After implementation of needle-free connectors (phase 2), post-intervention observations were made from September 2019 to January 2020 (phase 3). Results: Of 199 CVCs analyzed, 41.2% (40/97) occluded in at least one lumen in the first phase, and 13.7% (14/102) occluded after introducing the technological device, absolute risk reduction 27.5% (95% confidence interval 15.6%–39.4%). The lumens supported by needle-free connectors showed a higher probability of maintaining patency compared with three-way stopcocks. No differences were observed in the rate of infection. Conclusions: Pressure-activated anti-reflux needle-free connectors are effective and safe devices suitable for the management of vascular access in cardiac patient care. Staff training, even on apparently simple devices, is essential to avoid the risk of infection.


2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 2296-2301 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHIA-MIN LIN ◽  
FONE-MAO WU ◽  
HOI-KYUNG KIM ◽  
MICHAEL P. DOYLE ◽  
BARRY S. MICHAELS ◽  
...  

Compared with other parts of the hand, the area beneath fingernails harbors the most microorganisms and is most difficult to clean. Artificial fingernails, which are usually long and polished, reportedly harbor higher microbial populations than natural nails. Hence, the efficacy of different hand washing methods for removing microbes from natural and artificial fingernails was evaluated. Strains of nonpathogenic Escherichia coli JM109 and feline calicivirus (FCV) strain F9 were used as bacterial and viral indicators, respectively. Volunteers with artificial or natural nails were artificially contaminated with ground beef containing E. coli JM109 or artificial feces containing FCV. Volunteers washed their hands with tap water, regular liquid soap, antibacterial liquid soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel, regular liquid soap followed by alcohol gel, or regular liquid soap plus a nailbrush. The greatest reduction of inoculated microbial populations was obtained by washing with liquid soap plus a nailbrush, and the least reduction was obtained by rubbing hands with alcohol gel. Lower but not significantly different (P &gt; 0.05) reductions of E. coli and FCV counts were obtained from beneath artificial than from natural fingernails. However, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher E. coli and FCV counts were recovered from hands with artificial nails than from natural nails before and after hand washing. In addition, microbial cell numbers were correlated with fingernail length, with greater numbers beneath fingernails with longer nails. These results indicate that best practices for fingernail sanitation of food handlers are to maintain short fingernails and scrub fingernails with soap and a nailbrush when washing hands.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sehj Kashyap ◽  
Amanda F Spielman ◽  
Nikhil Ramnarayan ◽  
Sahana SD ◽  
Rashmi Pant ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Globally, 2.5 million newborns die within the first month of life annually. The majority of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and many of these deaths happen at home. The study assessed if the Care Companion Program (CCP) an in-hospital, skills-based training given to families improves post-discharge maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Methods: This quasi-experimental pre-post intervention study design compared self-reported behavior and health outcomes among families before and after the CCP intervention. Intention to treat analysis included families regardless of their exposure to the intervention. Mixed effects logistic regression model, adjusted for confounders, was fit for all observations. Effects were expressed as Relative Risks (RR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Results: At 2-weeks post-delivery, telephone surveys were conducted in the pre (n = 3510) and post-intervention (n = 1474) groups from 11 district hospitals in the states of Karnataka and Punjab. The practice of dry cord care improved significantly by 4%, (RR = 1.04, 95%CI [1.04,1.06]) and skin to skin care by 78% (RR=1.78, 95%CI [1.37,2.27]) in the post-intervention group as compared to pre-intervention group. Furthermore, newborn complications reduced by 16% (RR=0.84, 95%CI [0.76,0.91]), mother complications by 12% (RR=0.88, 95%CI [0.79,0.97]) and newborn readmissions by 56% (RR=0.44, 95%CI [0.31,0.61]). Outpatient visits increased by 27% (RR=1.27, 95%CI [1.10,1.46]). However, outcomes of breastfeeding, mothers diet, hand-hygiene, and process indicator of being instructed on warning signs were not different. Conclusion: Postnatal care should incorporate pre-discharge multi-pronged training of families to improve essential maternal and newborn care practices. The CCP model runs on a public-private partnership and is integrated into existing health systems. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to improve outcomes through a family-centered approach in India. The CCP model can be integrated into formalised hospital processes to relieve overburdened healthcare systems in LMIC settings.


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