Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Pathogenicity of Five Fungal Species Isolated From Eldana Saccharina (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Maize is one of the most important cereal crops grown in Africa by commercial and small-scale farmers. It serves as a staple food for millions of people in Africa. Maize production is, however, constrained by many biotic factors including lepidopteran stem borers such as Eldana sac-charina, which feed inside stem and rob the maize plant of water and nutrients. Many of the currently existing methods of controlling stem borers are either too expensive or inefficient. There is therefore, a need to find alternative control methods including the use of biological agents such as fungal pathogens. Dead Eldana saccharina larvae were collected from harvested maize farms around Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. They were taken through a proc-ess to isolate and identify fungal pathogens with which pathogenicity tests were performed on healthy E. saccharina larvae. The median lethal time (LT50) was determined for the fungal spe-cies that were pathogenic to E. saccharina. The isolated fungal species were Aspergillus flavus, Verticillium albo-atrum, Trichothecium spp., Fusariunm oxysporum and Alternaria brassici-cola. Out of the five, A. flavus had the largest corrected percentage mortality of 66.3 % at a con-centration of 1x107c.fu./ml. A. flavus, and V. albo-atrum., were pathogenic to E. saccharina. Trichothecium spp. was moderately pathogenic while F. oxysporum and A. brassicicola were not pathogenic to E. saccharina. A. flavus and V. albo-atrum could, therefore, be incorporated into an integrated approach to control E. saccharina

Evaluation of the effect of group size and structure on welfare of gestating sows in pens with electronic sow feeders (ESFs)

Anil, L.; Deen, J.; Anil, S.S.; Baidoo, S.K.; Walker, R.D.. (2006). Evaluation of the effect of group size and structure on welfare of gestating sows in pens with electronic sow feeders (ESFs). Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/157321

Analysis of the association between the numbers of lesions in different claw areas in sows

Anil, S.S.; Anil, L.; Deen, J.; Baidoo, S.K.; Wilson, M.E.; Ward, T.L.. (2009). Analysis of the association between the numbers of lesions in different claw areas in sows. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/152495