Needle sticks and injuries due to surgical instruments in health care providers

Objective: Health caregivers are facing various risks andhazards in their working environment. In this study theevaluation and examination of measures to be taken wasaimed among occupational injuries in our hospital in thelast three years.Methods: This study was performed as a retrospectiveinvestigation of 40 records of injury for health care providersthat detected by infection control committee of atertiary care university hospital between May 2010 andApril 2013.Results: Forty health care providers mean aged 28.5±7.8years submission were included. There were 21 male and19 female subjects. Most cases were the nurses (16/40).The majority of the injuries occurred in the surgical wards.Among the submissions, only 3 were working in the emergencyservice. The type of injuries were needle stick in 36cases and injuries due to surgical instruments in 2 casesand mucosal exposure in 2 cases. Following injury, 39cases confirmed that they cleaned the injured area. Inone case, the injured area was exsanguinated by squeezing.The cause of injury was known by 25 cases; however,15 cases did not know the causative material. In one casehepatitis B developed after injury. This case did not applyto the infection committee early stage but referred afterthe development of signs of active hepatitis.Conclusions: Health care providers should be educatedabout the risks of occupational body fluids and blood exposuresand after exposure to blood or blood productsthey should apply to the infection control committee withoutdelay.Key words: Hepatitis B, needle stick, health care provider

Oxidative Stress in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B and C

Objective: Hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections are extensively seen throughout the world. Disturbances in the antioxidant system and oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidant/antioxidant status in the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and C (CHC).Material and Methods: Twenty patients with CHB, 20 with CHC and 30 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in all patients and control group specthrophotometrically.Results: While CAT and SOD activities were significantly lower in patients with CHC, these enzymes were significantly higher in patients with CHB compared to controls. However, MDA levels were increased in each patient group as compared to the control group. Also, antioxidant enzyme activities were found to be significantly lower and MDA levels were higher in patients with CHC, compared to patients with CHB.Conclusion: We considered that insufficiency of antioxidant barrier may cause oxidative stress in patients with CHB and CHC, so antioxidant treatment should be useful for these patients

Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Urine of Patients with Hepatitis B and C

Objective: The aim of our study is to determine the role of oxidative stress biomarkers in hepatic damage in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight patients with chronic hepatitis B, 15 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 30 healthy individuals as a control group were included in this study. Serum alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, urine oxidative stress biomarkers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) and catalase (CAT) activities were measured. Results: Urine MDA levels increased in patients with HBV and HCV compared to the control group. It was higher in HCV patients than HBV patients (p<0.001). Besides, while CAT and SOD-1 activities were decreased in the urine of patients with HCV, they increased in the urine of patients with HBV compared to controls (p<0.05). Furthermore, urine CAT ve SOD-1 activities in patients with HBV were statistically significantly higher than those of the HCV patients (p<0.001). Conclusion: Increase in urine MDA levels in hepatitis forms may be valuable in monitoring in viral hepatitis cases. Also, we thought that insufficiency of antioxidant barrier in patients with HCV may cause oxidative damage, so antioxidant treatment may useful and should be added to the combined therapy for these patients

Impact of antimicrobial drug restrictions on doctors' behaviors

Background/aim: Broad-spectrum antibiotics have become available for use only with the approval of infectious disease specialists (IDSs) since 2003 in Turkey. This study aimed to analyze the tendencies of doctors who are not disease specialists (non-IDSs) towards the restriction of antibiotics. Materials and methods: A questionnaire form was prepared, which included a total of 22 questions about the impact of antibiotic restriction (AR) policy, the role of IDSs in the restriction, and the perception of this change in antibiotic consumption. The questionnaire was completed by each participating physician. Results: A total of 1906 specialists from 20 cities in Turkey participated in the study. Of those who participated, 1271 (67.5%) had &amp;#8804;5 years of occupational experience (junior specialists = JSs) and 942 (49.4%) of them were physicians. Specialists having &gt;5 years of occupational experience in their branch expressed that they followed the antibiotic guidelines more strictly than the JSs (P &lt; 0.05) and 755 of physicians (88%) and 720 of surgeons (84.6%) thought that the AR policy was necessary and useful (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated that the AR policy was supported by most of the specialists. Physicians supported this restriction policy more so than surgeons did.Background/aim: Broad-spectrum antibiotics have become available for use only with the approval of infectious disease specialists (IDSs) since 2003 in Turkey. This study aimed to analyze the tendencies of doctors who are not disease specialists (non-IDSs) towards the restriction of antibiotics. Materials and methods: A questionnaire form was prepared, which included a total of 22 questions about the impact of antibiotic restriction (AR) policy, the role of IDSs in the restriction, and the perception of this change in antibiotic consumption. The questionnaire was completed by each participating physician. Results: A total of 1906 specialists from 20 cities in Turkey participated in the study. Of those who participated, 1271 (67.5%) had &amp;#8804;5 years of occupational experience (junior specialists = JSs) and 942 (49.4%) of them were physicians. Specialists having &gt;5 years of occupational experience in their branch expressed that they followed the antibiotic guidelines more strictly than the JSs (P &lt; 0.05) and 755 of physicians (88%) and 720 of surgeons (84.6%) thought that the AR policy was necessary and useful (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated that the AR policy was supported by most of the specialists. Physicians supported this restriction policy more so than surgeons did