Global research landscape of health care-associated infections among immunocompromised people before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Health care-associated infections(HCAIs)pose a substantial threat to immunocompromised individuals and represent a frequent adverse event in health care delivery.The aim of this study was to evaluate the global research landscape of HCAIs among immunocompromised populations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.A systematic search of articles published between 2013 and 2022 in the Web of Science Core Collection database was conducted,and content analytics and integrated science mapping were used for data analysis and interpretation.The review identified 1,473 articles.Only 633 articles authored by 4,151 individuals and published in 366 journals were included.The average citation rate was 14.27 per document,and research production grew annually by 9.07%peaking in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic but declining in 2022.The United States emerged as the most productive country,with 743 publication appearances and 2,485 citations.Keywords such as“epidemiology,”“infection,”“mortality,”and“risk factors”were frequently encountered in the analyzed literature.The main research themes,including“mortality,”“sepsis,”“immunosuppression,”“expression,”and“pneumonia,”underscored the focal points of importance within this domain.This study highlighted the growing interest regarding HCAIs in immunocompromised populations,especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.The study findings underscore the need to advance research efforts to understand different immunocompromised states,develop tailored infection prevention measures,and address health care disparities to mitigate the burden of HCAIs among immunocompromised individuals.

Improving treatment plan and mental health in children with abdominal infection for broad-spectrum bacterial infections

BACKGROUND Pediatric abdominal infection is a common but serious disease that requires timely and effective treatment.In surgical treatment,accurate diagnosis and rational application of antibiotics are the keys to improving treatment effects.AIM To investigate the effect of broad-spectrum bacterial detection on postoperative antibiotic therapy.METHODS A total of 100 children with abdominal infection who received surgical treatment in our hospital from September 2020 to July 2021 were grouped.The observation group collected blood samples upon admission and sent them for broad-spectrum bacterial infection nucleic acid testing,and collected pus or exudate during the operation for bacterial culture and drug sensitivity testing;the control group only sent bacterial culture and drug sensitivity testing during the operation.RESULTS White blood cell count,C-reactive protein,procalcitonin,3 days after surgery,showed better postoperative index than the control group(P<0.05).The hospital stay in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group.The hospitalization cost in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Early detection of broad-spectrum bacterial infection nucleic acids in pediatric abdominal infections can help identify pathogens sooner and guide the appropriate use of antibiotics,improving treatment outcomes and reducing medical costs to some extent.

The effect of HPV infection on mental health status in women

Human papillomavirus(HPV)infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections globally,and its close association with the development of cervical cancer has become a major public health concern.HPV infection not only leads to physical health problems,but also has an impact on a woman’s mental health,such as:severe anxiety,fear,depression,negativity,and other psychological distress.The purpose of this review is to systematically summarize the current knowledge on this topic and to explore its current development in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines.We can provide interventions that may alleviate or even eliminate psychological problems in women,depending on their psychological characteristics.A total of 82 records were included in the study,including 37 papers on the effect of HPV infection on the mental health status of women and 45 studies on the effect of implementing interventions on the mental health of patients with HPV infection.The results show that HPV infection can make women produce anxiety,depression,shame,low self-esteem and other negative psychological.However,active and proper medical treatment,psychological counseling and support,and strengthening health education have positive effects on HPV-infected women,and can promote the mental health of HPV-infected women.

Health care-associated hepatitis C virus infection

Hepatitis C virus(HCV)is a blood-borne pathogen that has a worldwide distribution and infects millions of people.Care-associated HCV infections represented a huge part of hepatitis C burden in the past via contaminated blood and unsafe injections and continue to be a serious problem of public health.The present review proposes a panorama of health care-associated HCV infections via the three mode of contamination that have been identified:(1)infected patient to non-infected patient;(2)infected patient to non-infected health careworker(HCW);and(3)infected HCW to non infected patient.For each condition,the circumstances of contamination are described together with the means to prevent them.As a whole,the more important risk is represented by unsafe practices regarding injections,notably with the improper use of multidose vials used for multiple patients.The questions of occupational exposures and infected HCWs are also discussed.In terms of prevention and surveillance,the main arm for combating care-associated HCV infections is the implementation of standard precautions in all the fields of cares,with training programs and audits to verify their good application.HCWs must be sensitized to the risk of blood-borne pathogens,notably by the use of safety devices for injections and good hygiene practices in the operating theatre and in all the invasive procedures.The providers performing exposed-prone procedures must monitor their HCV serology regularly in order to detect early any primary infection and to treat it without delay.With the need to stay vigilant because HCV infection is often a hidden risk,it can be hoped that the number of people infected by HCV via health care will decrease very significantly in the next years.

Model of Healthcare-Associated Infection Control in Primary Health Care Institutions:A Structural Equation Modeling

The purpose of this study was to construct the model of organization system,managemcnt,training and surveillance in healthcare-associated infection prevention and control(IC)of primary health care institutions and identify its efleet on patient safety and decreasing economic burden by standardizing IC.A cross-sectional survey was conducted with questionnaires.Data were collected from 268 primary health care institutions in Hubei province,China.Hypotheses on the model of IC were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.The results showed that the fit indices of the hypothesized model of IC satisfied recommended levels:root mean square error of approximation(RMSEA)=0.071;comparative fit index(CFI)=0.965;tucker lewis index(TLI)=0.956:weighted root mean square residual(WRMR)=1.014.The model showed that organization system had a direct effect on management(β=0.311.P<0.01),and training(β=0.365,P<0.01).Management and training played an intermediary role that partially promoted organization system impact on surveillance.Results also showed that institutional factors such as the number of physicians、the ninnber of nurses,the designated capacity of beds,the actual number of open beds and surgery trips had positive impacts on management(β=0.050,P<0.01;β=0.181,P<0.01;β-0.111.P<0.01;β=0.064,P<0.01;β=0.084,P=0.04);nd training(β=0.21,P=0.03;β=0.050,P=0.02;β=0.586.P=0.01;0=0.995,P=0.02;β=0.223.P=0.03).In conclusion.the model of organization system,managemcnt,training and surveillancc in IC of primary health care institutions is valuable tor guiding IC practice.

Effect and Significance of Comprehensive Training in Infection Prevention and Control on the Psychological Health of Oral Health Staff

Background:Oral health staff have close contact with patients in the process of diagnosis and treatment,and it is inevitable for them to come into contact with patients’secretions.Therefore,oral health staff are at greater risk of infectious diseases in their daily work,and their psychological health is also greatly challenged.Objective:To study the effect and significance of comprehensive training in infection prevention and control on the psychological health of oral health staff.Methods:We selected 400 oral health staff from a tertiary stomatological hospital in Guangzhou,China in this study.The respondents were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group.After the first round of investigation,the intervention group received comprehensive training in prevention and control of infection for three months,while the control group received no intervention.Results:The comprehensive training in infection prevention and control improved the respondents’psychological health and job satisfaction.Further strengthening infection prevention and control training for oral health staff will increase their self-confidence,improve their mental health,and increase their job satisfaction.Conclusion:For oral health staff,it is particularly important to formulate an effective and operable preventive and control training program and then implement it in a standardized manner.

Evaluation of dry eye disease symptomatology and mental health status among patients with different COVID-19 statuses

AIM:To evaluate dry eye disease(DED)symptomatology and mental health status in different COVID-19 patients.METHODS:A cross-sectional observational design was used.Totally 123 eligible adults(46.34%of men,age range,18-59y)with COVID-19 included in the study from August to November,2022.Ocular Surface Disease Index(OSDI),Five-item Dry Eye Questionnaire(DEQ-5),Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS),and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)were used in this study.RESULTS:OSDI scores were 6.82(1.25,15.91)in asymptomatic carriers,7.35(2.50,18.38)in mild cases,and 16.67(4.43,28.04)in recurrent cases,with 30.00%,35.56%,and 57.89%,respectively evaluated as having DED symptoms(χ2=7.049,P=0.029).DEQ-5 score varied from 2.00(0,6.00)in asymptomatic carriers,3.00(0,8.00)in mild cases,and 8.00(5.00,10.00)in recurrent cases,with 27.50%,33.33%,and 55.26%,respectively assessed as having DED symptoms(χ2=8.532,P=0.014).The prevalence of clinical anxiety(50.00%)and depression(47.37%)symptoms were also significantly higher in patients with recurrent infection(χ2=24.541,P<0.001;χ2=30.871,P<0.001).Recurrent infection was a risk factor for high OSDI scores[odds ratio,2.562;95%confidence interval(CI),1.631-7.979;P=0.033]and DEQ-5 scores(odds ratio,3.353;95%CI,1.038-8.834;P=0.043),whereas having a fixed occupation was a protective factor for OSDI scores(odds ratio,0.088;95%CI,0.022-0.360;P=0.001)and DEQ-5 scores(odds ratio,0.126;95%CI,0.039-0.405;P=0.001).CONCLUSION:Patients with recurrent COVID-19 have more severe symptoms of DED,anxiety,and depression.

Healthcare seeking trends in acute respiratory infections among children of Pakistan

AIM To assess healthcare seeking trends among Pakistani children with acute respiratory infections through comparative analysis between demographic health surveys(DHS) 2006-2007 and 2012-2013. METHODS Data of the last born children 0-24 mo of age of the sampled households from both the DHS was analyzedafter seeking permission from the DHS open access website. These were children who had suffered from cough and/or breathing difficulty in the past two weeks and sought health care thereafter. The trends of health care seeking were determined separately for the individual, household and community level according to the study parameters. χ2 test was applied to compare these trends. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Out of 2508 children in 2006-2007 there were 1590 with acute respiratory infections(ARI) according to case definition along with 2142 out of 3419 children in 2012-2013 DHS, whose data was analyzed. During 2006-2007, 69% cases sought healthcare for ARI which improved to 79% in 2012-2013. Additionally, it was revealed that when compared between 2006-2007 and 2012-2013, improvement in care seeking practices was observed among illiterate mothers(64% vs 77%) although there was minimal change in those literate. Similarly, those women working also showed an increase in healthcare seeking from 67% to 79%. Additionally, those belonging to low and middle socioeconomic class showed a marked increase as compared to those in the higher class where there was no significant change. Whereas those living in rural communities also showed an increase from 66% to 78%.CONCLUSION Increasing health budget, improving maternal education and strengthening multi-sectoral coordination are among the effective strategies to improve outcomes associated with healthcare seeking in ARI.

The Social Determinants of Health in Relation to Sexually Transmitted Infections in Maricopa County Arizona

Based on the information that was collected on the County Health Rankings website [1], one of the top health concerns for Maricopa County was sexually transmitted infections or STIs. A big concern with STIs is this is not a common subject explored in educational settings or addressed socially. There are many organizations, including the CDC, that have access to materials, there is limited distribution of the educational content. Therefore, the public is not well informed and lacks the information to make educated decisions. The areas with insufficiencies are knowledge of the disease processes, prevention, and treatment.

Health Care Personnel’s Attitude toward Hand Hygiene in Regard to the Prevention of Health-Care Associated Infections: A Cross Sectional Study at the University Hospital Pristine

Background: Hand hygiene is the leading measure for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance and reducing healthcare-associated infections, but health care worker compliance with optimal practices remains low in most settings. Objective: The main aim of this paper is to determine findings and start drafting policies in implementing them into practice after finding out nurses’ opinions, beliefs and attitudes toward hand hygiene (HH). Methodology and methods: A cross sectional descriptive and observational study during November 2009. Results: From the total number of 175 health care workers employed in this unit, 67 (38.3%) were observed regarding adherence to hand hygiene. Regarding the knowledge, practices and attitudes of the nurses, data were collected from 54 (50.0%) among 108 nurses in four intensive care units within the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK). From research findings, it was concluded that hand hygiene compliance in the intensive care units was low (51.3%). Conclusion: Research results show the necessity of organizing multimodal programs with intensive care units of University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK) on increase of knowledge level on health-care associated infections (HAI).

An Intervention Study of Reproductive Tract Infections among Married Women of Reproductive Age in Shanghai

Objective To evaluate the impacts of reproductive tract infections （RTIs） intervention on RTIs-related knowledge, attitudes, practices and prevalence of married women at reproductive age. Methods Four sub-districts from Xuhui district, Shanghai were selected by multistage cluster random sampling and residence committees were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control one. RTIs intervention was implemented in intervention group, while routine family planning program was conducted in control group. Results Compared with control group, intervention group have improved the following targets： the increment of RTI knowledge score was higher than that in control group （OR=9. 22, 95%CI： 7.01 - 2.14）; the increment score of individual health behaviors （6. 31） was higher than that in control group （4.50） （OR=1.60, 95%CI： 1.21 -2.10）; the increase of condom use frequency in intervention group was higher than that in control group （4.12% vs 0.69%） （OR=1.84, 95%CI： 1.31-2.57）; the decreased RTIs rate was higher than that in control group （7.45% vs 0.96%） （OR=0.68, 95%CI： 0.49-0.95）. Conclusion It is an effective way to conduct community-based intervention to increase women＇s RTIs knowledge, improve RTIs-related attitudes, promote good individual health behaviors, so as to decrease RTIs prevalence.

The Current Status and Challenges Regarding Tuberculosis Infection Control in Health Care Facilities in China

Health care facilities are a high-risk environment for generating and spreading respiratory infectious diseases such as tuberculosis （TB）. The TB prevention and treatment staff in health care facilities are responsible for the identification, diagnosis, treatment, supervision, and management of TB patients .

Effective Factors in Urinary Tract Infection Prevention among Children: Application of Health Belief Model

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections among children using preventive manipulations, especially among children less than 6 years old. This study aimed at exploring factors which could affect urinary tract infection prevention among children. A descriptive analytical study was conducted on 70 mothers who had children less than 6 years old in 2013. Multistage cluster sampling method was utilized in which each kindergarten was considered as a cluster and data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire designed based on Health Belief Model (HBM). Validity and reliability of questionnaire were confirmed by a pilot study. ANOVA and Pearson Correlation Coefficient were conducted using SPSS, version 18. The mean and standard deviation of knowledge and practice were 6.96 ± 2.14 and 15.47 ± 1.54 respectively. Means and standard deviation of Health Belief Model constructs (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and self-efficacy) were 17.64 ± 2.50, 22.02 ± 2.55, 20.90 ± 2.38, 27.56 ± 5.20 and 21.49 ± 3.18 respectively. More participants were in the moderate levels of knowledge (74.3%) and practice (45.7%). These findings revealed a significant relation between practice and perceived susceptibility (p = 0.02), perceived barriers (p = 0.001), self-efficacy (p = 0.014) and cues to action (p = 0.016). Based on the current study, the intervention based on Health Belief Model can be useful to improve preventive behaviors of Urinary Tract Infection.

Assessing the quality of the management skills required for lower respiratory tract infections in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. A severe form of atypical pneumonia, Q fever, has been found in Northern Tanzania. Assessment of the quality of health care for lower respiratory tract infection from the clinicians’ performance has rarely been performed. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study using the qualitative and quantitative approaches for assessing clinicians and patient files from 11 health facilities of Kilimanjaro region. The facilities were of 4 different levels of public health care delivery and 1 private independent hospital. Results: Medications for LRTI were highly variable in 346 files and from attempts of treatment reported in 53 clinician’s interviews. No file showed attempts for assessing the severity of Pneumonia. Only 6 (11.1%) clinicians could mention causes of atypical pneumonia. Only 7 clinicians (13.0%) were aware of Q-fever and could mention the cause. The quality of clinical records for monitoring the progress was not the same in all levels of care and the difference in availability was statistically significant as level of mental state χ2 (4) = 139.4;P

Post-Exposure Prophylaxis against HBV and HIV Infection in Health Care Workers

Healthcare Workers (HCWs) are constantly at risk of exposure to viral infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immune deficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aim at demonstrating the results of a three-year period of a surveillance program in Iran with the prospective follow-up of HCWs exposed to blood-borne viruses. HCWs who had experienced an occupational exposure to HBV, HCV or HIV from September 2005 to 2008 were enrolled in the study. Age, gender, route of exposure, type of fluid, type of virus, job, department, working shift, work experience, wearing gloves when exposed, history of HBV vaccination and the serum level of anti HBs antibody were recorded for all participants through an individual interview. Serum samples were taken from both HCWs and the sources of exposure and were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The data were gathered through questionnaires completed by a nurse under the supervision of a specialist of infectious diseases. In this study, 100 HCWs who were occupationally exposed to HIV, HCV or HBV were included. Most exposures had occurred among nurses (35%), followed by residents (29%), interns (18%), housekeepers (7%), the lab staff (6%), and specialists (5%). Most of the exposures had occurred in emergency (21%) and surgical (20%) wards. The most common route of exposure was percutaneous injuries (77%) and the most common cases had contacted with needles and angiocaths (71.1%) during injection or opening vein routes (21%). Establishing a surveillance system for registering the occurrence of occupational hazardous exposures, performing prophylactic measures and following up the exposed is a necessity in hospitals so that the number of exposures and occupational diseases among the HCWs can be decreased.

Evaluation of Infection Prevention and Control Programmes (IPC), and Assessment Tools for IPC-Programmes at MOH-Health Facilities in Saudi Arabia

Infection Prevention and Control is a Quality Standard and is crucial in all health care facilities. Many hospitals remain deficient in trained infection control professionals (ICPs), and now there is an acute awareness of the need to correct this shortfall. The objectives of the study were to describe the current status of ICP programs at ministry of health (MOH) and to evaluate the current status of infection prevention and control programs at health care facilities in kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cross sectional interview and a self assessment study were conducted on infection prevention and control (IPC) program in Saudi Arabia. All the MOH hospital in all regions was randomly chosen to the study setting. The selection of facilities was done at random with a clear intention to include twenty regions. A random sample was taken from these hospitals with sample size 56 (55.4%), by Multi stage random sampling technique. Results showed that the total facility in all over the kingdom was 51.4% where central area covered the facility score 58.2%, followed by western area (54.8%), south (53.7%), east (46.3%), and lastly with (45.8%) north area. Survey revealed that the infrastructure for infection control program in Saudi Arabian hospitals remained underdeveloped. There were defects in the identified components of effective infection control programs.

Health Facilities Readiness to Implement Standard Precautions for Infection Prevention and Control in Tanzania: Lesson Learnt from SARA Reports

Introduction: Standard Precautions are a set of measures applied in the care of all individuals/patients regardless of their infectious status aiming at preventing healthcare workers and patients from infections, preventing environmental contamination and spread of infections to the community. Many health facilities have not implemented them to an acceptable level. The purpose of the study is to report progress of improvement in health facilities readiness to implement standard precautions for infection prevention and control based on SARA reports. Methods: We generated mean scores of all standard precautions each year and calculated their standard deviations, variances and confidence intervals. One-way ANOVA was used to determine if the mean scores were equal. Finally, the trend of improvement in health facilities readiness to implement the standard precautions was generated. Results: A total of nine standard precautions were reported in SARA reports for 2012, 2017 and 2020. The mean scores of the standard precautions were 52.22% in 2012, 64.55% in 2017 and 69.66% in 2020. The overall trend showed an increase in health facilities readiness to implement standard precautions, although the mean scores were not statistically different (p-value 0.3217). Conclusion: SARA surveys conducted in Tanzania in 2012, 2017 and 2020 have shown an overall increase in health facilities readiness to implement standard precautions. Safe final waste disposal was being done in fewest facilities while single-use or auto-disable syringes were in most facilities that were sampled in all years. SARA surveys may be a useful way to evaluate Infection Prevention and Control adherence in health facilities.

Comments by opponents on the British Medical Association’s guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision of children seem one-sided and may undermine public health

The British Medical Association(BMA)guidance on non-therapeutic circumcision(NTMC)of male children is limited to ethical,legal and religious issues.Here we evaluate criticisms of the BMA’s guidance by Lempert et al.While their arguments promoting autonomy and consent might be superficially appealing,their claim of high procedural risks and negligible benefits seem one-sided and contrast with high quality evidence of low risk and lifelong benefits.Extensive literature reviews by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in developing evidence-based policies,as well as risk-benefit analyses,have found that the medical benefits of infant NTMC greatly exceed the risks,and there is no reduction in sexual function and pleasure.The BMA’s failure to consider the medical benefits of early childhood NTMC may partly explain why this prophylactic intervention is discouraged in the United Kingdom.The consequence is higher prevalence of preventable infections,adverse medical conditions,suffering and net costs to the UK’s National Health Service for treatment of these.Many of the issues and contradictions in the BMA guidance identified by Lempert et al stem from the BMA’s guidance not being sufficiently evidence-based.Indeed,that document called for a review by others of the medical issues surrounding NTMC.While societal factors apply,ultimately,NTMC can only be justified rationally on scientific,evidence-based grounds.Parents are entitled to an accurate presentation of the medical evidence so that they can make an informed decision.Their decision either for or against NTMC should then be respected.

196例初治病原学阳性肺结核患者结核感染控制知识知晓情况调查

目的:调查初治病原学阳性肺结核患者结核感染控制知识掌握情况,为有效开展结核感染控制和健康教育工作提供依据。方法:对2019年1月至2023年1月于首都医科大学附属北京胸科医院、北京市昌平区结核病防治所、北京市大兴区结核病预防控制中心纳入的196例初治病原学阳性肺结核患者进行结核感染控制知识知晓情况问卷调查,调查内容包括患者的基本信息、结核感染控制知识问卷、临床信息等;发出问卷196份,有效问卷196份,有效率为100.0%。统计调查对象结核感染控制知识知晓情况,分析影响其结核病防治核心信息知晓情况的因素。结果:196例调查对象结核感染控制知识总知晓率为64.4%(2649/4116)。多因素logistic回归分析结果显示,相对于初中及以下学历,大专/本科及以上学历者结核感染控制知识知晓率达标的可能性更高(OR=6.659,95%CI:1.995~22.220);相对于有结核病接触史者,无结核病接触史者结核感染控制知识知晓率达标的可能性更低(OR=0.218,95%CI:0.054~0.886)。结论:初治病原学阳性肺结核患者结核感染控制知识知晓率尚有待提高,初中及以下文化程度和无结核病接触史的患者结核感染控制知识知晓率相对较低,需针对这部分人群开展结核病预防控制健康教育工作。

Chromoblastomycosis:a tropical-subtropical fungal disease with pathognomonic features not to be neglected in a global health scenario

Chromoblastomycosis(CBM)is a fungal disease,distributed in tropical and subtropical regions,affecting mainly rural workers.It is characterized by chronic skin lesions that may vary from nodular,tumorous,verrucous or plaque type.Associated constitutional symptoms are rarely found.The histological presentation may yield a pathognomonic feature,the Medlar(sclerotic)bodies,in which a typical brown to black pigment is depicted,explaining“copper pennies”as its alias.In this article,the case of a 56-year-old woman in the countryside of Brazil is reported,whose main complaint was a chronic leg ulcer for the past 8 years.The left leg had a large,partially ulcerated plaque lesion was found.Microbiological cultures were positive for the pathogen.Histological analysis demonstrated pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia,lymphohistiocytic infiltrate and sclerotic bodies(“copper pennies”).CBM’s epidemiological panorama,once established uniquely by geographical distribution,is transitioning to a global health issue,influenced by immunosuppressive conditions,global warming and migration.This scenario demands CBM to be widely considered as a differential diagnosis and may represent a clinical challenge in regions whose professionals have little expertise in infectious tropical diseases.