scholarly journals A Comparison of the Bacterial Contamination of the Surface of Cleanroom Operators’ Garments following Donning with and without Gloves

Author(s):  
Laurie M. Smith ◽  
Noëlle H. O’ Driscoll ◽  
Andrew J. Lamb

Background Specialist cleanroom garments are a potential vector for transmission of microorganisms within these facilities. In order to maintain the low bioburden of such clothing it has been perceived best practice for operators to dress wearing sterile cleanroom gloves. However, the efficacy of such glove use upon the resultant bacterial contamination of the surface of cleanroom garments has not previously been evaluated. Aim To compare surface bacterial contamination of cleanroom garments following their donning by operators dressing with or without gloves. Methods Following prior handwashing and systematic donning of cleanroom clothing by operators dressing wearing either no gloves, non-sterile nitrile gloves or sterile cleanroom latex gloves, a direct agar contact method was immediately undertaken to test garment surfaces at 7 specific sites. Following incubation bacterial levels were suitably quantified. Findings Comparing levels of growth displayed on plates used to test the surface of cleanroom garments worn by operators dressing with no gloves, non–sterile gloves or sterile cleanroom gloves, no significant difference was observed between the percentage of contact plates displaying growth and the levels of growth observed on plates, from any of the sites tested. Conclusion Omission of gloves in line with a systematic handwashing procedure prior to the cleanroom garment donning process, may result in modest economic and environmental gain coupled with a slightly less burdensome procedure. However, this is reliant on rigorous adherence to handwashing protocol and assessment of associated risk factors.

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e043814
Author(s):  
Mesfin Tadese ◽  
Andargachew Kassa ◽  
Abebaw Abeje Muluneh ◽  
Girma Altaye

ObjectivesThe study aimed to provide an association between dysmenorrhoea and academic performance among university students in Ethiopia. Further, the study attempts to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of dysmenorrhoea.Design and methodInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 April to 28 April 2019. A semistructured and pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Binary logistic regression analysis and one-way analysis of variance were performed to model dysmenorrhoea and academic performance, respectively.Setting and participantsEthiopia (2019: n=647 female university students).OutcomesThe primary outcome is dysmenorrhoea, which has been defined as painful menses that prevents normal activity and requires medication. The self-reported cumulative grade point average of students was used as a proxy measure of academic performance, which is the secondary outcome.ResultsThe prevalence of dysmenorrhoea was 317 (51.5%). The educational status of father (adjusted OR (AOR) (95% CI) 2.64 (1.04 to 6.66)), chocolate consumption (AOR (95% CI) 3.39 (95% 1.28 to 8.93)), daily breakfast intake (<5 days/week) (AOR (95% CI) 0.63 (0.42 to 0.95)), irregular menstrual cycle AOR (95% CI) 2.34 (1.55 to 3.54)) and positive family history of dysmenorrhoea AOR (95% CI) 3.29 (2.25 to 4.81)) had statistically significant association with dysmenorrhoea. There was no statistically significant difference in academic performance among students with and without dysmenorrhoea (F (3611)=1.276, p=0.28)).ConclusionsDysmenorrhoea was a common health problem among graduating University students. However, it has no statistically significant impact on academic performance. Reproductive health officers should educate and undermine the negative academic consequences of dysmenorrhoea to reduce the physical and psychological stress that happens to females and their families.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
H. Thukral ◽  
P. Dhaka ◽  
J. Singh Bedi ◽  
R. Singh Aulakh

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in milk and milk products may pose a major public health concern. The present cross-sectional study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of AFM1 in bovine milk across all districts of Punjab, India and to identify the associated animal and farm level risk factors. A total of 402 milk samples (266 cow milk and 136 buffalo milk) were analysed using commercial ELISA and representative samples were confirmed using HPLC-FLD. The results revealed that 56.2 and 13.4% of the milk samples exceeded the maximum levels of the European Union, i.e. 0.05 μg/l and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), i.e. 0.5 μg/l for AFM1 in milk, respectively. On analysis of species variation, buffalo milk (prevalence: 56.6%; mean concentration: 0.42±0.9 μg/l) was found to have higher AFM1 levels than cow milk (prevalence: 56.0%; mean concentration: 0.19±0.3 μg/l), with statistically significant difference between mean concentrations (P<0.01) and non-significant difference between AFM1 prevalence (P=0.91). Furthermore, milk from commercial dairy farms (prevalence: 64.7%; mean concentration: 0.34±0.65 μg/l) was found to be more contaminated than from household dairy establishments (prevalence: 47.8%; mean concentration: 0.19±0.65 μg/l). The risk factors ‘above average milk yield/day’ (odds ratio (OR): 2.4) and ‘poor animal hygiene’ (OR: 1.9) were identified at animal level, and ‘intensive dairy farming’ (OR: 3.1) and ‘animal feed without aflatoxin binder’ (OR: 4.7) as farm level risk factors for AFM1 excretion above maximum levels of European Union in milk. Among cow breeds, the milk from ‘non-descript’ breed (OR: 11.5) was found to be most contaminated with AFM1 and the least from Jersey breed (OR: 1.0). The present study highlighted the presence of AFM1 in milk samples; therefore, regular monitoring of AFM1 in milk is required so that high risk regions and associated risk factors can be addressed appropriately.


Author(s):  
Muna Abdella ◽  
WubitTafese Mhatebu

A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2015 to march 2016 on bovine fasciolosis, to assess the abattoir based prevalence, predominant species of bovine fasciolosis and associated risk factors of the disease in cattle slaughtered in Halaba municipal abattoir. A total of 384 cattle were examined using post mortem examination. Infection rates were (3.64%), 2.34%, 2.08%, and 1.82 % F. gigantic, F. hepatica, mixed and immature respectively with the overall prevalence of 9.88 % (38). F. gigantic was found to be the most prevalent species in cattle of the study area. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of fasciola infection was significantly higher in poor body condition animals than in medium and good body condition animals (p < 0.05). However, in terms of age, sex and breed, no statistically significant difference was found between infected animals (p > 0.05).The present study showed that bovine fasciolosis is one of the important pathogens in cattle in the study area and warrants appropriate disease prevention and control measures and further epidemiological investigations to determine the different agro ecological risk factors on the occurrence of the disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-418
Author(s):  
Tingting Li ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Mingming Chen ◽  
Rui Wang ◽  
Lianping He ◽  
...  

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE Psychological distress is an important mental health problem among university students. The goal of this study was to determine psychological distress and its associated risk factors among students in the Anhui province. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 1304 students. In this study, a self-administered questionnaire consisting of the general demography and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was completed. Psychological distress was assessed using the GHQ-12-item questionnaire. A dichotomous category split was imposed on the GHQ-12 for the purpose of analysis. A GHQ-12 score of 4 or higher indicated psychological distress. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 system. RESULTS A total of 1304 samples were analyzed in this study. The results indicated that the education level of the father and mother was associated with the students’ psychological distress (P<0.001). A significant association was found between high-intensity exercise and low-intensity exercise and psychological distress. However, no significant difference was identified between gender and psychological distress (P=0.173). CONCLUSION The education level of parents, high-intensity exercise, and low-intensity exercise were associated with psychological distress. Our results suggest that it is indispensable to raise awareness of psychological disorders and its associated risk factors among university students. Further studies are required to develop appropriate interventions for high-risk groups.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Ziaul Islam ◽  
Tasnim Disu ◽  
Shatmin Farjana ◽  
Mohammad Rahman

Abstract Background: Malnutrition and depression are highly prevalent in the elderly and can lead to disparaging outcomes. Analytical studies on malnutrition concerning geriatric depression (GD) are very scarce in Bangladesh, although the size of the elderly population is increasing fast in the country. The current study aimed to assess the association between malnutrition and depression and associated risk factors in the rural elderly.Methods: A case-control study was conducted in 600 elderly residents (aged ≥60 years) of three rural communities of Bangladesh from January to October 2019. Three hundred depressed elderly people were enrolled as cases and 300 non-depressed elderly individuals were included as community controls by matching the age and living area of the cases. We used a semi-structured questionnaire based on the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and the Bangla version of Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form to collect data through face-to-face interviews. Measures included baseline and personal characteristics, malnutrition, GD, and associated risk factors. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify variables associated with the risk of GD.Results: The study found no significant difference in gender (male Vs. female) between cases (44.0% Vs. 56.0%) and controls (46.0% Vs. 54.0%). The study revealed that malnutrition was significantly (p<0.01) higher in cases (56.0%) than in controls (18.0%). The malnourished elderly had around three times AOR=3.155; 95% CI: 1.53-6.49, p=0.002) more (risk of having depression than the controls. The unemployed elderly (AOR=4.964; 95% CI: 2.361-10.440; p=0.0001) and the elderly of the lower and middle class (AOR=3.654; 95% CI: 2.266-7.767; p=0.001) were more likely to experience depression. The elderly having a poor diet were more likely to experience depression (AOR=3.384; 95% CI: 1.764-6.703; p=0.0001). The single elderly (AOR=2.368; 95% CI: 1.762-6.524; p=0.001) and the elderly tobacco users (AOR=2.332; 95% CI: 1.663-5.623; p=0.003) were more likely to experience depression.Conclusions: A significant association between malnutrition and depression is evident in the rural elderly individuals of Bangladesh. It will be a prolific initiative if policymakers merge malnutrition and the risk factors associated with geriatric depression in the provision of universal health care for better health and well-being of the rural elderly populations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Min Park ◽  
Kyung Ho Oh ◽  
Jae-Gu Cho ◽  
Seung-Kuk Baek ◽  
Soon-Young Kwon ◽  
...  

Objective: We analyzed the changes in voice- and swallowing-related symptoms that occurred over time in patients who underwent thyroidectomy and identified any associated risk factors. Methods: One hundred and three patients who underwent thyroidectomy were enrolled. Results: The mean thyroidectomy voice-related questionnaire (TVQ) score before surgery was 12.41 ± 12.19; it significantly increased to 28.24 ± 18.01 ( P < .001) 1 month postoperatively, decreased to 24.02 ± 17.30 ( P = .014) and 20.66 ± 15.29 ( P = .023) 3 and 6 months postoperatively, respectively. It was continuously decreased to 18.83 ± 14.63 twelve months postoperatively. The temporal changes in TVQ scores between patients who underwent total thyroidectomy or lobectomy were significantly different. There was a statistically significant difference in the temporal changes in TVQ according to whether neck dissection was performed. The temporal changes in TVQ in patients with and without extrathyroidal extension were significantly different. Conclusions: Voice- and swallowing-related discomfort in patients who received thyroidectomy showed dynamic changes over time. There was a significant difference in the degree of change according to clinicopathological factors. Patients with these risk factors may benefit from appropriate patient education and various rehabilitation programs for symptom relief.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Marzban ◽  
Mohammadreza Kalantarhormozi ◽  
Mehdi Mahmudpour ◽  
Afshin Ostovar ◽  
Saeed Keshmiri ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency has been increased globally since the last two decades. However, the majority of these studies concerned on cities and there is scant information regarding the prevalence of vitamin D in rural areas. The main aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors among rural population in Bushehr province which has the longest border with the Persian Gulf.Methods: The rural inhabitants with ≥25 years old from three mountainous, plain, and seashore areas of Bushehr province were selected through a stratified multi-cluster random sampling method. After obtaining the participants’ demographic and anthropometric data and their past medical history, serum 25- hydroxy vitamin D was measured using ELISA.Results: A total of 1806 (means±SD, 46.30± 14.22 years old) rural subjects (34.84% males and 64.88%) participated in this study. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency and sufficiency were 27.87%, 50.39% and 21.74%, respectively. The deficiency of vitamin D in women was higher than men (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.54, P=0.040). There was a positive significant correlation between age and serum vitamin D levels. Men with vitamin D deficiency had higher BMI (P=0.008); this association was not observed among women (P=0.74). There was no significant difference between the food items consumption frequencies, and vitamin D status (P>0.05). The mountainous, and plain areas had the highest and lowest vitamin D levels, respectively.Conclusion: Although, Bushehr province is located in a sunny part of Iran, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was high among its rural population. The shift of their life styles patterns and rapid industrialization in these rural areas may be responsible. Therefore, the enrichment of dietary sources with vitamin D and the use of vitamin D supplements are recommended to tackle the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the rural population of the northern part of the Persian Gulf.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-55
Author(s):  
A.H. Al-Kharusi ◽  
E. I. Elshafie ◽  
K.E. M. Ali ◽  
R. AL-Sinadi ◽  
Baniuraba N. ◽  
...  

Trypanosoma evansi is a well-known hemoprotozoa that infects diverse domestic and wild animals worldwide and caused devastating disease called surra. This research aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Trypanosoma evansi and its associated risk factors in dromedary camels in North Al-Sharqiya governorate in the Sultanate of Oman.  A total of 4364 serum samples was collected from three willayat in north governorates of Sultanate of Oman; Ibra (926, 21.2%), Qabil (1119, 25.6%) and Bidiyah (2319, 53.1%). Samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against T. evansi using card agglutination test (CATT/T. evansi). Binary logistic regression was used to study the association of T. evansi seroprevalence and risk factors such as location, gender, purpose and age of camels. The overall seroprevalence of T. evansi detected by CATT/T. evansi test was 38% (1659/4364, CI: 36.6-39.5%). There was a significant difference (p=0.001) between location and T. evansi seroprevalence, whereas highest seroprevalence was found in Ibra (49.9%, CI: 46.7-53.1%) followed by Bidiyah (35%, CI: 33-36.9%) and Qabil (34.5%, CI: 31.8-37%). Camels from Ibra were almost two times more likely to have circulating antibodies of T. evansi than camels from Bidiyah (OR=1.89, CI: 1.591-2.168). Also, the results showed a significant difference between seroprevalence and sex (p=0.023), whereas the age of camels was not (p>0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first research that indicated that T. evansi antibodies were circulating among camels in Oman, and further research needs to be tackled to study the molecular characterization of T. evansi and its prevalence in other animal species. Furthermore, cross-sectional studies of T. evansi from different regions in Oman warrant further investigation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mebrate Dufera ◽  
Oljira Kenea ◽  
Geleta Tadele

Abstract Background: Malaria is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. About 75% of the total area of the country is an area of malaria transmission and an estimated 68% of the Ethiopian population is at risk from malaria. Therfore, this study was aimed to evaluate local malaria incidence and associated risk factors in and around Anger Gute town, East Wollega Zone,Oromia Regional State, Western Ethiopia. Methods: Health-facility based cross-sectional study was carried out from June to December 2018. 462 malaria suspected patients attending three health posts and one health center were included in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and laboratory diagnosis of malaria. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 for windows. Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of each independent variable on incidence of malaria. P values of less or equal to 0.05 were considered significant. Results : Of 462 malaria suspected cases, 122 (26.4%) had Plasmodium infection which was confirmed by microscopy or RDT. 64.75 %, 32 % and 3.75% of malaria was caused by P. falciparum, P. vivax and mixed infections respectively. Malaria incidence in and around Anger Gute town from June to December 2018 was found to be 0.343 % (122/ 35, 585). No significant difference in incidence of malaria was found by sex and age categories of study participants (P>0.05). Incidence of malaria was significantly lower in urban kebeles compared to rural kebeles (COR= 0.359, P=0.00). Incidence of malaria was significantly associated with presence of stagnant water nearby living house (AOD=186.3, P=0.000), utilization of bed net (AOD=0.08, P=0.000), and IRS (AOD=0.056,P=0.03). Six years malaria trend analysis at Anger Gute Health Center showed that number of confirmed malaria cases was significantly decreased in 2014 - 2018 as compared to 2013. Since 2014; numbers of confirmed malaria cases have been more or less constant in Anger Gute health center. Conclusions: Incidence of malaria in and around Anger Gute town was 3.43 per 1000 population at risk of the disease during the study period and was lower than recent incidence of malaria reported from Ethiopia. Trend analysis of malaria from 2014 to 2018 indicated nearly unchanged numbers of malaria cases. This shows presence of low sustained malaria transmission. Integrated vector control efforts are needed to suppress transmission that lead to elimination of the disease in the study setting. Key words: Anger Gute, malaria, malaria incidence


Author(s):  
Odile Tadzong Mamokem ◽  
Wiliane Jean Takougoum Marbou ◽  
Marie Modestine Kana Sop ◽  
Bruno Phélix Telefo

Background: Adolescents are a particularly vulnerable age group to iron deficiency without anemia (IDWA). This study aimed at determining the prevalence and associated risks factors of IDWA among apparently healthy school teenagers in Mbouda, West-Cameroon.Methods: The 778 blood samples were randomly collected from adolescents aged 10-19 years of four schools in Mbouda. Appropriate indicators including haemoglobin and haematocrit, serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, and total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation were determined using standard methods.Results: The overall prevalence of IDWA was 40.4%. High significant difference in the mean values of serum iron (p≤0.001), serum ferritin (p≤0.001), TIBC (p=0.007), CST (p≤0.001) were observed in participants with IDWA compared to those without IDWA. The sociodemographic risk factors of IDWA in school adolescents were school site (p=0.022; 0.14 (0.90-1.43) and period of menstruation (p=0.015; 1.48 (1.083-2.03). Consumption of roots-tubers [OR: 0.92 (0.48-1.77)] legumes [OR: 2.65 (1.91-3.67)], cereals [OR: 0.90 (0.67-1.22)], increased the risk of IDWA while consumption of vegetables [OR: 0.29 (0.22-0.39)], eggs [OR: 0.66 (0.49-0.90)], and fish-shrimp [OR: 0.172 (0.10-0.295)] decreased the risk of IDWA. Meal consumption frequency had a statistically significant association with IDWA (p≤0.001).Conclusions: This study identified that IDWA was a major public health in adolescents. This study will help in planning and implementation of the policy for prevention of IDWA in adolescents.


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