Perceptions, Attitudes, and Compliance of Health Care Undergraduate and Graduate Students Regarding Infection Control Practices

Perceptions, Attitudes, and Compliance of Health Care Undergraduate and Graduate Students Regarding Infection Control Practices By Raghad Abdullah Alherbish (Under the Direction of Dr. Rachel E. Culbreth) ABSTRACT Introduction: Infection control is a very important part of healthcare in any facility. This has been the focus of attention of researchers and many international institutions. Understanding infection control basis and its guidelines is fundamental for all healthcare workers. This has therefore been added to university curricula. Continuous enforcement mechanisms have been established in order to assure optimal application to avoid infection transmission. This thesis presents a study on perceptions, attitudes, compliance and obstacles faced by undergraduate and graduate students in Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and respiratory therapy exploring perceptions, attitudes, compliance and obstacles faced in connection to infection control guidelines and used tools, hand hygiene (HH) and personal protective equipment (PPE). Data was analyzed using the statistical program of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Chi-square and ANOVA were used to analyze variance and associations. Results: There was a total of 102 responders to the survey. However, 34 were excluded as they failed to answer all components. The total sample size of this analysis was therefore 68 responders. The majority were female nurses. Perceptions of responders for HH and PPE were rated at 50-79.4% and 91.2-92.7% respectively. Their attitudes for HH and PPE were rated at 92.7-100% and 92.7-98.5% respectively. Compliance was rated at 89.7-98.5% for HH and 13.2-91.2% for PPE. Age was associated with PPE; such that younger responders had better attitudes towards using PPE. There was also a significant association between the healthcare specialty and perceptions for PPE (p=0.031). Facing obstacles was also significantly associated with for both HH and PPE with specialty (pConclusion:Attitudes towards infection control of undergraduate and graduate students at school of nursing and health professions in George State University was overall excellent. Younger responders had better PPE utilization compared to older responders. This is followed by compliance and then perceptions. Healthcare specialty had a major influence on perceptions for PPE and compliance for HH overall. Further studies are needed to explore these findings periodically in order to improve infection control guidelines in addition to expansion on studying all individual variables and build up their significant association

The Prevalence of Natural Health Product Use in Patients with Acute Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Natural health products (NHP) use may have implications with respect to adverse effects, drug interactions and adherence yet the prevalence of NHP use by patients with acute cardiovascular disease and the best method to ascertain this information is unknown. Objective: To identify the best method to ascertain information on NHP, and the prevalence of use in a population with acute cardiovascular disease. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of consecutive patients admitted with acute cardiovascular disease to the University of Alberta Hospital during January 2009. NHP use was explored using structured and open-ended questions based on Health Canada’s definition of NHP. The medical record was reviewed, and documentation of NHP use by physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, compared against the gold-standard structured interview. Results: 88 patients were interviewed (mean age 62 years, standard deviation [SD 14]; 80 % male; 41 % admitted for acute coronary syndromes). Common co-morbidities included hypertension (59%), diabetes (26%) and renal impairment (19%). NHP use was common (78 % of patients) and 75 % of NHP users reported daily use. The category of NHP most commonly used was vitamins and minerals (73%) followed by herbal products (20%), traditional medicines including Chines

International Consensus Guideline on Small for Gestational Age (SGA): Etiology and Management from Infancy to Early Adulthood

: This International Consensus Guideline was developed by experts in the field of SGA of 10 pediatric endocrine societies worldwide. A consensus meeting was held and 1300 articles formed the basis for discussions. All experts voted about the strengths of the recommendations. The guideline gives new and clinically relevant insights into the etiology of short stature after SGA birth, including novel knowledge about (epi)genetic causes. Besides, it presents long-term consequences of SGA birth and new treatment options, including treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) in addition to growth hormone (GH) treatment, and the metabolic and cardiovascular health of young adults born SGA after cessation of childhood-GH-treatment in comparison with appropriate control groups. To diagnose SGA, accurate anthropometry and use of national growth charts are recommended. Follow-up in early life is warranted and neurodevelopment evaluation in those at risk. Excessive postnatal weight gain should be avoided, as this is associated with an unfavorable cardio-metabolic health profile in adulthood. Children born SGA with persistent short stature < -2.5 SDS at age 2 years or < -2 SDS at age of 3-4 years, should be referred for diagnostic work-up. In case of dysmorphic features, major malformations, microcephaly, developmental delay, intellectual disability and/or signs of skeletal dysplasia, genetic testing should be considered. Treatment with 0.033-0.067 mg GH/kg/day is recommended in case of persistent short stature at age of 3-4 years. Adding GnRHa treatment could be considered when short adult height is expected at pubertal onset. All young adults born SGA require counseling to adopt a healthy lifestyle

Admission predictability of children with acute asthma

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the seasonal variations of acute asthma presentation in children and the utility of the pediatric asthma score (PAS) and its components in early admission prediction. METHODS: As part of a randomized controlled trial addressing the clinical efficacy of budesonide nebulization in the treatment of acute asthma in children, the PAS was measured at baseline, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th h from the start of medications. Decision of admission was taken at or beyond the 2nd h. RESULTS: Out of a total 906 emergency department (ED) visits with moderate-to-severe acute asthma, 157 children were admitted. June to September had the lowest number of visits. The admission-to-discharge ratio varied throughout the year. During the ED stay, between baseline and 3rd h, admission predictability of the total score improved progressively with a small difference between the 2nd and 3rd h. The total score remained the strongest predictor of admission at every time point compared to its individual components. The drop of PAS from baseline to the 2nd h was not a good predictor of admission. Oxygen saturation (OS) and respiratory rate (RR) had relatively higher predictability than other components. CONCLUSIONS: Decision of admission could be made to many children with moderate-to-severe acute asthma at the 2nd h of ED stay based on their total PAS. OS and RR should be part of any scoring system to evaluate acute asthma in children

Frequency of natural health product use.

<p>Other infrequently used products used included [4 uses each] coenzyme Q10, and flax oil; hawthorn, chondroitin, ginko biloba, ginseng, and vitamin B6; [2 uses each] serrapeptase enzyme, methylsulfonylmethane, cayenne pepper, peppermint, green tea, herbal tea, thai tea, folic acid, and replavite; [1 use each] lutein, white willow bark, motherwort, bilberry, lavender, eucalyptus, wintergreen, menthol, camphor, opti-i-see eye drops, bromelain, turmeric, Echinacea, graviola, rat root plant leaf, banana leaf extract, cranberry supplement, celery herbal, rosemary herbal, seaweed herbal, chamomile tea, carboxymethylcellulose, collagen supplements, vitamin B50 complex, gelatin, and agar.</p

Frequency of natural health products documentation by clinical staff when compared to direct structured interview.

<p>*N represents the number of matched histories of natural health product use (between profession and direct interview).</p><p>**N represents the number matched unique NHP products.</p

Frequency of NHP intake.

<p>Frequency of NHP intake.</p