Background: Handling of medicines is a day-to-day activity by patients and many health care providers. However, multiple studies have brought to light inappropriate disposal methods for expired and unused medication (...Background: Handling of medicines is a day-to-day activity by patients and many health care providers. However, multiple studies have brought to light inappropriate disposal methods for expired and unused medication (EUM). Improper disposal of expired and unused medicines is hazardous both to humans and the environment. Objective: This sought to measure patients’ knowledge, attitude, and practices on disposal methods of EUM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 384 patients at three outpatient pharmacies at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs). The structured questionnaire was used to collect data and STAT version 15.1 was used to analyse the data. Results: 384 respondents participated in this study and, at some point, had EUM. In this study, 356 (92.7%) of the participants reported that they had never heard of a drug take-back system. Most of the participants 285 (74.2%) and 239 (62.2%) kept and donated their unused medicine, respectively. Additionally, 244 (63.5%), 212 (55.2%), and 176 (44.8%) of the participants disposed of expired medicines in the bin or garbage, flushed them in toilets or sinks, or burned them, respectively. Occupation was significantly associated with unsafe disposal of unused medicine [P-value = 0.019]. Conclusion and Relevance: Knowledge of safe disposal methods for EUM was good amongst most participants. However, used unsafe disposal methods. The majority of the participants exhibited positive attitude concerning safe disposal methods. This study highlights the need for drug-take-back program creation in Zambia.展开更多
Urea,paracetamol and glutamine(based on the expired drugs)were selected as vapor-phase corrosion inhibitors(VCIs)to study their corrosion protection effect on red copper in simulated marine atmospheric environment by ...Urea,paracetamol and glutamine(based on the expired drugs)were selected as vapor-phase corrosion inhibitors(VCIs)to study their corrosion protection effect on red copper in simulated marine atmospheric environment by using weight loss,electrochemical measurement techniques(specially designed electrochemical testing device for simulating marine atmospheric environments)and surface morphology characterization analysis(SEM/EDS,XRD,RAMAN,XPS).Weight loss results show that the three corrosion inhibitors have good corrosion inhibition effect on red copper,and the corrosion inhibition efficiency in the order of glutamine(83.62%)>urea(68.46%)>paracetamol(61.47%).Surface morphology characterization analysis provides evidence of adsorption of corrosion inhibitors molecules on the red copper surface,thus forming a protective film that blocked the red copper surface from the aggressive chloride ion attack.展开更多
In recent years,food safety accidents resulted from reverse flow of expired foods is of frequent occurrence. Therefore,finding out reasons for reverse flow of expired foods and taking effective measures to avoid rever...In recent years,food safety accidents resulted from reverse flow of expired foods is of frequent occurrence. Therefore,finding out reasons for reverse flow of expired foods and taking effective measures to avoid reverse flow of expired foods are greatly significant to safeguard China's food safety. From analysis on current recovery processing situations and related regulations of expired foods in China,it is found that reverse flow of expired food is mainly resulted from no law to comply with,no regulation to follow in recovery processing of expired foods,enterprises lacking good faith,and imperfect accountability system and supervision system. In view of these factors,it comes up with following recommendations:( 1) Improving legal regulations on processing of expired foods;( 2) Making clear responsibility investigation of supervision and law enforcing departments;( 3) Setting up " Four in One" supervision mode integrating enterprise self-discipline,market supervision,social monitoring,and information platform;( 4) Improving the supervision system for recovery processing of expired foods.展开更多
Introduction: Expiratory upper airway obstruction during bag-mask ventilation is not well characterized. Methods: An audit was done to assess expiratory obstruction in 90 adult surgical patients undergoing bag-mask ve...Introduction: Expiratory upper airway obstruction during bag-mask ventilation is not well characterized. Methods: An audit was done to assess expiratory obstruction in 90 adult surgical patients undergoing bag-mask ventilation during the induction of general anaesthesia. Results: Clinicians experienced difficulty delivering gas to the lungs when the head was neutral in 52 of 90 patients (58%;inspiratory obstruction) but this problem was corrected by head tilt and chin lift in all but 2 patients. Clinicians experienced difficulty recovering gas from the lungs when the mouth was held closed under the mask in 30 of the remaining 88 patients (34%;expiratory obstruction). This problem persisted despite head tilt and chin lift in all but one patient but was uniformly corrected by opening the mouth. Inspection of the soft palate revealed that it was lying on the posterior pharyngeal wall in 27 of 30 patients with expiratory obstruction and that the retropalatal space was patent in 55 of 58 patients without expiratory obstruction (χ2, P < 0.001). The clinical predictors of expiratory upper airway obstruction included advanced age, large tongue, and large uvula. Conclusion: Expiratory airway obstruction should be suspected in all cases of difficult mask ventilation that cannot be corrected by head tilt and chin lift. Simply allowing the mouth to open between positive pressure breaths will permit gas to exit the lungs.展开更多
Purpose: In patients with obstructive lung diseases, alteration of intrathoracic pressure is closely related to hyperinflation and leads to hemodynamic impairments. Both intrathoracic pressure and hemodynamics are aff...Purpose: In patients with obstructive lung diseases, alteration of intrathoracic pressure is closely related to hyperinflation and leads to hemodynamic impairments. Both intrathoracic pressure and hemodynamics are affected by the respiratory phase. In fact, a previous study showed that respiratory phasic variations in the superior vena cava (SVC) area significantly correlated with the extent of emphysema. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma manifest different pathophysiological changes in hyperinflation and hemodynamics. The current study was conducted to evaluate differences in respiratory variations in the cross-sectional area of the SVC between patients with COPD and with asthma. Materials and Methods: We measured the SVC area and calculated the ratio of the SVC area on inspiratory and expiratory scans (i/e-SVC ratio) in 66 patients with COPD and 16 patients with asthma. The cor-relations of the i/e-SVC ratios with airflow limitation, pulmonary small vessels less than 5 mm2 (%cross-sectional area [%CSA] < 5), and respiratory changes in lung volume (i/e-LV) obtained by inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography (CT) images were evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference in i/e-SVC ratio between COPD and asthma groups. In COPD patients, the i/e-SVC ratio significantly correlated with the %CSA ﹣0.433, P = 0.003), i/e-LV ratio (ρ = ﹣0.371, P = 0.011), and percent of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1% predicted) (ρ = ﹣0.474, P = 0.001), whereas in asthma patients, there were no significant correlations between the i/e-SVC ratio and those functional parameters. Conclusion: There would be differences in the relationship between intrathoracic pressure and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics between COPD and asthma patients.展开更多
<b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Some anesthetized patients present with expiratory airway obstruct...<b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Some anesthetized patients present with expiratory airway obstruction (EAO) during mask ventilation (MV). EAO may occur more frequently among edentulous patients for whom a firmer grip of the mask and the mandible is needed to avoid gas leakage. We compared EAO grades before and after denture removal and identified predictors of EAO during MV in edentulous patients. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Methods:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">One hundred and eight denture-wearing edentulous patients were anesthetized, their mouths were wrapped with film, their nasal masks and mandibles were held with two hands, and their lungs were ventilated in a pressure-controlled mode. Their dentures were subsequently removed, mouths were re-wrapped, and nasal MV was reapplied. EAO was graded based on capnography waveforms as follows: Grade I, normal waveform (no obstruction);II, loss of the alveolar plateau of the wave</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">form (partial obstruction);and III, no waveform (total obstruction). EAO</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> grades were compared before and after denture removal. Predictive demographic variables for occurrence of total EAO were identified using a multivariate analysis. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The proportions of Grades I, II, and III were 43.5%, 26.9%, and 29.6% when dentures were worn and 35.2%, 15.7%, and 49.1%, respectively, when dentures were removed. A significant difference was observed in EAO grades before and after denture removal (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.000034). Age ≥</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">75 years (adjusted odds ratio 3.41;95% confidence interval 1.31</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> - </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">8.87;</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.012) and body mass index ≥</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">25 kg/m</span><sup><span style="vertical-align:super;font-family:Verdana;">2 </span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(adjusted odds ratio 2.61;95% confidence interval 1.07</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> - </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">6.40;</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.036) were independently associated with an increased incidence of total EAO in patients with their dentures removed. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusion: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Denture removal impaired expiratory upper airway patency in edentulous patients, particularly in older or obese patients, during MV.</span>展开更多
Background: The disposal of unused and expired medications has been a concern in many countries in that, the pharmaceutical waste enters the ecosystem and eventually causes a negative impact on human health and enviro...Background: The disposal of unused and expired medications has been a concern in many countries in that, the pharmaceutical waste enters the ecosystem and eventually causes a negative impact on human health and environment. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and disposal practices of unused and expired medicines by students in the private medical universities in Lusaka of Zambia. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted over a period of 8 weeks among 391 respondents from three private universities in Lusaka. Respondents were polled using semi structured questions that focused on their knowledge, attitudes, and disposal practices for unused and expired drugs. In order to analyze data, the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 was utilized. Results: The mean age of the participants was 23 years (SD: ±3). Out of the 391 participants, 320 (81.8%) knew about medicine waste and 391 (100.0%) responded that unsafe disposal of unused and expired medicine poses a threat to human health and can harm the environment. The drug-take-back system was unknown to a vast percentage of the respondent 371 (94.9%). The majority 274 (70.1%) of respondents had unused medicine stored at home, with antibiotics 215 (56.0%) and analgesia 111 (28.4%) being the most prevalent types of drugs kept in the households. The most commonly used disposal practice for unused 126 (32.2%) and expired medicines 274 (70.1%) was throwing them in household garbage. Only 27 (6.9%) and 30 (7.7%) reported returning unused and expired medicines to the nearest pharmacy respectively. The majority of respondents believed the risk stemmed from the presence of an undesired drug in the home, the potential for harm to children, a lack of proper information on safe disposal practices, and the necessity for a take-back program. Conclusions: The majority of the study participants used unsafe methods to dispose of unused and expired medicine. However, most of the participants acknowledged that unsafe disposal of unused and expired medicines is a public health problem and proposed the need to introduce drug take-back programs in the communities.展开更多
文摘Background: Handling of medicines is a day-to-day activity by patients and many health care providers. However, multiple studies have brought to light inappropriate disposal methods for expired and unused medication (EUM). Improper disposal of expired and unused medicines is hazardous both to humans and the environment. Objective: This sought to measure patients’ knowledge, attitude, and practices on disposal methods of EUM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 384 patients at three outpatient pharmacies at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs). The structured questionnaire was used to collect data and STAT version 15.1 was used to analyse the data. Results: 384 respondents participated in this study and, at some point, had EUM. In this study, 356 (92.7%) of the participants reported that they had never heard of a drug take-back system. Most of the participants 285 (74.2%) and 239 (62.2%) kept and donated their unused medicine, respectively. Additionally, 244 (63.5%), 212 (55.2%), and 176 (44.8%) of the participants disposed of expired medicines in the bin or garbage, flushed them in toilets or sinks, or burned them, respectively. Occupation was significantly associated with unsafe disposal of unused medicine [P-value = 0.019]. Conclusion and Relevance: Knowledge of safe disposal methods for EUM was good amongst most participants. However, used unsafe disposal methods. The majority of the participants exhibited positive attitude concerning safe disposal methods. This study highlights the need for drug-take-back program creation in Zambia.
基金Project(ZR2023ME063)supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,ChinaProject(121311KYSB20210005)supported by the Overseas Science and Education Cooperation Center Deployment Project,ChinaProject supported by the Qingdao Expert Workstation for Intelligent Anticorrosion for Water Diversion Project,China。
文摘Urea,paracetamol and glutamine(based on the expired drugs)were selected as vapor-phase corrosion inhibitors(VCIs)to study their corrosion protection effect on red copper in simulated marine atmospheric environment by using weight loss,electrochemical measurement techniques(specially designed electrochemical testing device for simulating marine atmospheric environments)and surface morphology characterization analysis(SEM/EDS,XRD,RAMAN,XPS).Weight loss results show that the three corrosion inhibitors have good corrosion inhibition effect on red copper,and the corrosion inhibition efficiency in the order of glutamine(83.62%)>urea(68.46%)>paracetamol(61.47%).Surface morphology characterization analysis provides evidence of adsorption of corrosion inhibitors molecules on the red copper surface,thus forming a protective film that blocked the red copper surface from the aggressive chloride ion attack.
基金Supported by General Program for Science Plan of Education Supervision Office of People's Government of Beijing Municipality(SQKM201210037002)Special Fund for Beijing Area Logistics System&Technology Major Laboratory
文摘In recent years,food safety accidents resulted from reverse flow of expired foods is of frequent occurrence. Therefore,finding out reasons for reverse flow of expired foods and taking effective measures to avoid reverse flow of expired foods are greatly significant to safeguard China's food safety. From analysis on current recovery processing situations and related regulations of expired foods in China,it is found that reverse flow of expired food is mainly resulted from no law to comply with,no regulation to follow in recovery processing of expired foods,enterprises lacking good faith,and imperfect accountability system and supervision system. In view of these factors,it comes up with following recommendations:( 1) Improving legal regulations on processing of expired foods;( 2) Making clear responsibility investigation of supervision and law enforcing departments;( 3) Setting up " Four in One" supervision mode integrating enterprise self-discipline,market supervision,social monitoring,and information platform;( 4) Improving the supervision system for recovery processing of expired foods.
文摘Introduction: Expiratory upper airway obstruction during bag-mask ventilation is not well characterized. Methods: An audit was done to assess expiratory obstruction in 90 adult surgical patients undergoing bag-mask ventilation during the induction of general anaesthesia. Results: Clinicians experienced difficulty delivering gas to the lungs when the head was neutral in 52 of 90 patients (58%;inspiratory obstruction) but this problem was corrected by head tilt and chin lift in all but 2 patients. Clinicians experienced difficulty recovering gas from the lungs when the mouth was held closed under the mask in 30 of the remaining 88 patients (34%;expiratory obstruction). This problem persisted despite head tilt and chin lift in all but one patient but was uniformly corrected by opening the mouth. Inspection of the soft palate revealed that it was lying on the posterior pharyngeal wall in 27 of 30 patients with expiratory obstruction and that the retropalatal space was patent in 55 of 58 patients without expiratory obstruction (χ2, P < 0.001). The clinical predictors of expiratory upper airway obstruction included advanced age, large tongue, and large uvula. Conclusion: Expiratory airway obstruction should be suspected in all cases of difficult mask ventilation that cannot be corrected by head tilt and chin lift. Simply allowing the mouth to open between positive pressure breaths will permit gas to exit the lungs.
文摘Purpose: In patients with obstructive lung diseases, alteration of intrathoracic pressure is closely related to hyperinflation and leads to hemodynamic impairments. Both intrathoracic pressure and hemodynamics are affected by the respiratory phase. In fact, a previous study showed that respiratory phasic variations in the superior vena cava (SVC) area significantly correlated with the extent of emphysema. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma manifest different pathophysiological changes in hyperinflation and hemodynamics. The current study was conducted to evaluate differences in respiratory variations in the cross-sectional area of the SVC between patients with COPD and with asthma. Materials and Methods: We measured the SVC area and calculated the ratio of the SVC area on inspiratory and expiratory scans (i/e-SVC ratio) in 66 patients with COPD and 16 patients with asthma. The cor-relations of the i/e-SVC ratios with airflow limitation, pulmonary small vessels less than 5 mm2 (%cross-sectional area [%CSA] < 5), and respiratory changes in lung volume (i/e-LV) obtained by inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography (CT) images were evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference in i/e-SVC ratio between COPD and asthma groups. In COPD patients, the i/e-SVC ratio significantly correlated with the %CSA ﹣0.433, P = 0.003), i/e-LV ratio (ρ = ﹣0.371, P = 0.011), and percent of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1% predicted) (ρ = ﹣0.474, P = 0.001), whereas in asthma patients, there were no significant correlations between the i/e-SVC ratio and those functional parameters. Conclusion: There would be differences in the relationship between intrathoracic pressure and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics between COPD and asthma patients.
文摘<b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Some anesthetized patients present with expiratory airway obstruction (EAO) during mask ventilation (MV). EAO may occur more frequently among edentulous patients for whom a firmer grip of the mask and the mandible is needed to avoid gas leakage. We compared EAO grades before and after denture removal and identified predictors of EAO during MV in edentulous patients. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Methods:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">One hundred and eight denture-wearing edentulous patients were anesthetized, their mouths were wrapped with film, their nasal masks and mandibles were held with two hands, and their lungs were ventilated in a pressure-controlled mode. Their dentures were subsequently removed, mouths were re-wrapped, and nasal MV was reapplied. EAO was graded based on capnography waveforms as follows: Grade I, normal waveform (no obstruction);II, loss of the alveolar plateau of the wave</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">form (partial obstruction);and III, no waveform (total obstruction). EAO</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> grades were compared before and after denture removal. Predictive demographic variables for occurrence of total EAO were identified using a multivariate analysis. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The proportions of Grades I, II, and III were 43.5%, 26.9%, and 29.6% when dentures were worn and 35.2%, 15.7%, and 49.1%, respectively, when dentures were removed. A significant difference was observed in EAO grades before and after denture removal (</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.000034). Age ≥</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">75 years (adjusted odds ratio 3.41;95% confidence interval 1.31</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> - </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">8.87;</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.012) and body mass index ≥</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">25 kg/m</span><sup><span style="vertical-align:super;font-family:Verdana;">2 </span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(adjusted odds ratio 2.61;95% confidence interval 1.07</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> - </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">6.40;</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.036) were independently associated with an increased incidence of total EAO in patients with their dentures removed. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusion: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Denture removal impaired expiratory upper airway patency in edentulous patients, particularly in older or obese patients, during MV.</span>
文摘Background: The disposal of unused and expired medications has been a concern in many countries in that, the pharmaceutical waste enters the ecosystem and eventually causes a negative impact on human health and environment. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and disposal practices of unused and expired medicines by students in the private medical universities in Lusaka of Zambia. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted over a period of 8 weeks among 391 respondents from three private universities in Lusaka. Respondents were polled using semi structured questions that focused on their knowledge, attitudes, and disposal practices for unused and expired drugs. In order to analyze data, the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 was utilized. Results: The mean age of the participants was 23 years (SD: ±3). Out of the 391 participants, 320 (81.8%) knew about medicine waste and 391 (100.0%) responded that unsafe disposal of unused and expired medicine poses a threat to human health and can harm the environment. The drug-take-back system was unknown to a vast percentage of the respondent 371 (94.9%). The majority 274 (70.1%) of respondents had unused medicine stored at home, with antibiotics 215 (56.0%) and analgesia 111 (28.4%) being the most prevalent types of drugs kept in the households. The most commonly used disposal practice for unused 126 (32.2%) and expired medicines 274 (70.1%) was throwing them in household garbage. Only 27 (6.9%) and 30 (7.7%) reported returning unused and expired medicines to the nearest pharmacy respectively. The majority of respondents believed the risk stemmed from the presence of an undesired drug in the home, the potential for harm to children, a lack of proper information on safe disposal practices, and the necessity for a take-back program. Conclusions: The majority of the study participants used unsafe methods to dispose of unused and expired medicine. However, most of the participants acknowledged that unsafe disposal of unused and expired medicines is a public health problem and proposed the need to introduce drug take-back programs in the communities.