scholarly journals Cross-sectional investigation of household transmission ofCryptosporidiumin England and Wales: the epiCrypt study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e026116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caoimhe McKerr ◽  
Rachel M Chalmers ◽  
Roberto Vivancos ◽  
Sarah J O’Brien ◽  
Julie Mugarza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Infected People ◽  
North West ◽  
Secondary Spread ◽  
The North ◽  
Sporadic Disease

IntroductionInfection with theCryptosporidiumparasite causes over 4000 cases of diagnosed illness (cryptosporidiosis) in England and Wales each year. Risk factors are often estimated from outbreak investigations, and in the UK include ingestion of contaminated water and food, farm/animal contact and person-to-person spread in institutions. However, reported outbreaks only represent about 10% of cases and the transmission routes for sporadic disease may not be the same. Contact with other people has been highlighted as a factor in the transmission ofCryptosporidium, but the incidence of sporadic disease has not been sufficiently established, and how frequently this arises from contact with other infected people is not well documented. This project will estimate the amount of secondary spread that occurs in the home and potentially identify asymptomatic infections which might have a role in transmission. Risk factors and characteristics associated with secondary spread will be described including any differences in transmission betweenCryptosporidiumspecies.Methods and analysisThe study will prospectively identify cryptosporidiosis cases from North West England and Wales over 1 year and invite them and their household to take part. Each household will complete a questionnaire and each household member will be asked to provide a stool sample. Clinical, demographic and home variables will be described, and further analyses undertaken to investigate associations with secondary spread in the home.Cryptosporidium-positive stool samples, identified by immunofluorescence microscopy, will be characterised using molecular methods to describe patterns of transmission. Data collection is expected to take 1 year, beginning in September 2018.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the North West–Liverpool East NHS Research Ethics Committee (Reference: 18/NW/0300) and the Confidentiality and Advisory Group (Reference 18/CAG/0084). Outputs will include scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications. In addition, a short, lay report of findings will be produced for participants, who can opt to receive this when they take part.Trial registration numberCPMS ID: 39458.

scholarly journals Cross-Sectional Household Transmission Study of Cryptosporidium Shows that C. Hominis Infections are A Key Risk Factor for Spread.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caoimhe McKerr ◽  
Rachel M Chalmers ◽  
Kristin Elwin ◽  
Heather Jones ◽  
Roberto Vivancos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Index Case ◽  
Secondary Infection ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Infected People ◽  
North West ◽  
Household Transmission

Abstract BackgroundInfection with the Cryptosporidium parasite causes over 4,000 cases of diagnosed illness (cryptosporidiosis) in England and Wales each year. The incidence of sporadic disease has not been sufficiently established, and how frequently this arises from contact with other infected people is not well documented.This project aimed to explore potential transmission in the home and attempt to identify asymptomatic infections, which might play a role in transmission. Risk factors and characteristics associated with spread of infection in the home were described including any differences between Cryptosporidium species.MethodsThe study identified cryptosporidiosis cases from North West England and Wales over a year and invited them and their household to take part. Each household was sent a study pack containing study information and a questionnaire, and stool sample kits to provide samples from consenting household members. Cryptosporidium-positive stool samples, identified by immunofluorescence microscopy, were characterised using molecular methods to help describe any patterns of transmission. Characteristics of households with and without additional cases were described, and compared using odds ratios (OR) and a multivariable logistic regression identified independent risk factors for household transmission. Data collection ran for one year, beginning in September 2018 with an initial pilot phase. ResultsWe enrolled 128 index cases and their households.Additional illness occurred in over a quarter of homes, each reporting an average of two additional cases. The majority of these were undiagnosed and unreported to surveillance. This burden was even greater in households where the index case was infected with C. hominis versus C. parvum, or the index case was under five years old, with mums and siblings most at risk of secondary infection. Only having an index case of C. hominis was independently associated with transmission in the multivariable model (OR= 4.46; p=0.01).ConclusionsCryptosporidium was a considerable burden in the home. At-risk homes were those where the index was less than five years old and/or infected with C. hominis. Of particular risk were female caregivers and siblings. Hygiene advice should be specifically directed here.This work provides evidence for humans as sources of C. hominis infection and that person-person is a key pathway. We recommend that all stools submitted for the investigation of gastrointestinal pathogens are tested for Cryptosporidium to better capture cases, inclusion of speciation data in routine surveillance, and the consideration of specific clinical advice on prevention for high-risk homes.

scholarly journals Depression and health risk factors in the North West Adelaide Health Study

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 304-305
Author(s):  
N Potts ◽  
D Wilson ◽  
A Taylor ◽  
T Gill ◽  
G Schrader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
North West ◽  
The North

scholarly journals Core Trainees' study budget and study leave: a survey exploring trainees' needs and understanding of local processes in place within the North West

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S157-S158
Author(s):  
Chirag Shroff
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Graphical Representation ◽  
Committee Meeting ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Local Board ◽  
Oversight Committee ◽  
New System

AimsHealth Education England launched a new system for study leave and study budget on 1st April 2018, in response to trainees' concerns regarding the previous system. According to this, Health Education England would manage the study leave budget through its local offices, making the process of accessing study ‘more transparent, equitable and streamlined' for all trainees. At the RAP Oversight Committee meeting of the North West Deanery in 2019, trainees' uncertainties over the process was discussed by the local reps. It was aimed that there was a need to gather information on trainees' needs and understanding of local processes in place by the deanery to access study leave and study budgetMethodA cross sectional survey was sent out to all the trainees by the Core Trainees year 1 RAP rep. A total of 6 relevant questions were designed and sent out to the trainees, allowing them 2 weeks’ time to respond. There were a total of 66 trainees who were sent the survey. The guidance mentioned in the 2016 Gold guide was used for reference to ensure the questions are relevant.ResultOf the total of 66 trainees who were sent the survey, there were 48 respondents. The results indicated that all 48 responders preferred study budget and leave process explained at induction. 47 of 48 respnders sought access to their study budget, 46 of 48 responders sought use of budget for external course and exam fees fudning, 27 of the 48 responders struggled to get study leave and 27 of 48 responders felt the current leave process was not satisfactory with 14 opining that there was scope for improvemement.ConclusionThe responses were collated by the trainee rep as a PowerPoint presentation containing graphical representation of trainees’ views regarding their study leaves and budget access. The survey results were made aware to the local board at the subsequent RAP Oversight Committee meeting to seek response and new guidance. There is a new system in place for study leave and study budgets, overseen by Health Education England. Overall, the survery attempted to understand and collate trainees' wants and needs, in effect improving trainee experiences.

scholarly journals Preferred Learning Styles of Nurses in In-Service Training Courses in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
Neda Safaeifard ◽  
Hossein Namdar Areshtanab ◽  
Fariborz Roshangar ◽  
Hossein Ebrahim ◽  
Hossein Karimi Moonaghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Training Courses

Summary Generally, progress, productivity and success of any organization depends on the skills and knowledge of their manpower. Thus, better and more accurate training programs in organizations will lead to their growth and efficiency will be eventually achieved. Due to the many advances in the field of medicine, nurses are the backbone of activities in organizations of medical sciences and patient’s affairs. For this purpose, in-service training courses for employees are the most important courses in nursing. This study was conducted at the University of Medical Sciences (Tabriz-Iran) aiming to determine the preferred learning styles of nurses in in-service training courses. In this cross-sectional study, all nurses working in medical and educational centers in a university in the North West of Iran were randomly selected. To collect data, a two-part questionnaire of Kolb’s demographic and social information was used. Data was analyzed by using descriptive and analytical statistics SPSS version 17 software. A total of 470 nurses with an average age of 36.46 ± 5.77 were studied. There was a significant correlation between preferred learning styles of nurses with nursing position, employment status, and income level. There was no a significant statistical relationship between the preferred learning style of nurses with age, work experience and experience in the center. The present study shows that the highest percentage of Kolb’s learning style is related to the preferential converging learning style (57.8%). This study aimed to determine the preferred learning styles of nurse’s in-service training courses in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The results of the study showed that converging and assimilating styles were the preferred learning ones among the majority of nurses; these styles are effective and interpreted according to their profession requiring a lot of information and knowledge. Due to the dominance of converging learning style among nurses, it is recommended to use appropriate teaching methods tailored to the style including the use of diagrams, presentations, lectures and self-learning with enjoyable materials.

scholarly journals Occupational exposure to blood and bodily fluids among healthcare workers in Serbian general hospitals

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-68
Author(s):  
Bojana Mandić ◽  
Stefan Mandić-Rajčević ◽  
Ljiljana Marković-Denić ◽  
Petar Bulat
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Exposure ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
General Hospitals ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Skin Contact ◽  
Entire Career ◽  
Bloodborne Infections

Abstract The risk of occupational bloodborne infections (HBV, HCV, and HIV) among healthcare workers remains a serious issue in developing countries. The aim of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to bloodborne infections among general hospital workers in Serbia. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the spring of 2013 and included 5,247 healthcare workers from 17 general hospitals. The questionnaire was anonymous, self-completed, and included sociodemographic information with details of blood and bodily fluid exposure over the career and in the previous year (2012). Significant predictors of sharps injuries were determined with multiple logistic regressions. The distribution of accidents in 2012 was equal between the genders (39 %), but in entire career it was more prevalent in women (67 %). The most vulnerable group were nurses. Most medical doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians reported stabs or skin contact with patients’ blood/other bodily fluid/tissue as their last accident. Healthcare workers from the north/west part of the country reported a significantly lower number of accidents over the entire career than the rest of the country (p<0.001). The south of Serbia stood out as the most accident-prone in 2012 (p=0.042).

Examining Sexuality in the Context of HIV/AIDS Knowledge among Students of the North-West University Mafikeng Campus

2017 ◽  
pp. 232-244
Author(s):  
Paul Bigala
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Sexual Pleasure ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Hiv Aids

The study investigated gender differences in attitudes towards sexuality in the context of HIV/AIDS among undergraduate students. The cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,498 randomly selected students. The majority of the students interviewed were females at 53.9% (M= 20.24, SD=2.98) compared to 46.1% males (M=21.67, SD=3.35). More Males (16%) responded in the affirmative with regard to having more than one sexual partner than female students (10%). Also, more male students (32.7%) than female students (18.6%) indicated that using condom reduces sexual pleasure and over 40% of both sets of respondents indicated that sexual intercourse should only be done between married couples. This study underscores the need to strengthen HIV/AIDS programmes to include issues on sexuality and encourage undergraduate students to attend these programmes.

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