An Experimental Study to Determine the Antibacterial Activity of Selected Petroleum Jellies against Selected Bacteria that cause Skin Infections.

Background: The skin is the largest organ of the body and forms its first line of defense against pathogens. When the integrity of this natural protective barrier is compromised, it’s an opportune moment for pathogenic microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes among others to invade the body causing skin infections such as folliculitis, acne, impetigo among others. Objectives: This study aimed at determining the phytochemical profile of the selected petroleum jellies, determining the antibacterial activity of different petroleum jellies on selected bacteria causing skin infections, comparing the antibacterial activity of the jellies to that of the commonly used drugs against skin infections, and determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the jellies exhibiting antibacterial activity. Methods: The antibacterial activity of the jellies was determined by the agar well diffusion method (AWD) and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the broth dilution method. Results: Only herbal jellies exhibited antibacterial activity against at most two of the three bacterial species studied. The MIC values for the herbal jellies ranged from 47 mg/ml to 188 mg/ml. Conclusion: The non-herbal petroleum jellies did not show antibacterial activity while that of herbal jellies was minimal with very low potency and thus should not be relied on for wound healing or curing skin infections. Recommendations: The antibacterial activity of jellies should be tracked diligently to detect and address antimicrobial resistance as it arises to ensure that they remain efficacious

Variability in the use of pulse oximeters with children in Kenyan hospitals: A mixed-methods analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pulse oximetry, a relatively inexpensive technology, has the potential to improve health outcomes by reducing incorrect diagnoses and supporting appropriate treatment decisions. There is evidence that in low- and middle-income countries, even when available, widespread uptake of pulse oximeters has not occurred, and little research has examined why. We sought to determine when and with which children pulse oximeters are used in Kenyan hospitals, how pulse oximeter use impacts treatment provision, and the barriers to pulse oximeter use. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We analyzed admissions data recorded through Kenya's Clinical Information Network (CIN) between September 2013 and February 2016. We carried out multiple imputation and generated multivariable regression models in R. We also conducted interviews with 30 healthcare workers and staff from 14 Kenyan hospitals to examine pulse oximetry adoption. We adapted the Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction to link the results from the multivariable regression analyses to the qualitative findings. We included 27,906 child admissions from 7 hospitals in the quantitative analyses. The median age of the children was 1 year, and 55% were male. Three-quarters had a fever, over half had a cough; other symptoms/signs were difficulty breathing (34%), difficulty feeding (34%), and indrawing (32%). The most common diagnoses were pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria: 45%, 35%, and 28% of children, respectively, had these diagnoses. Half of the children obtained a pulse oximeter reading, and of these, 10% had an oxygen saturation level below 90%. Children were more likely to receive a pulse oximeter reading if they were not alert (odds ratio [OR]: 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.55, p = 0.003), had chest indrawing (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.40, p < 0.001), or a very high respiratory rate (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.43, p < 0.001), as were children admitted to certain hospitals, at later time periods, and when a Paediatric Admission Record (PAR) was used (OR PAR used compared with PAR not present: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.98, 2.94, p < 0.001). Children were more likely to be prescribed oxygen if a pulse oximeter reading was obtained (OR: 1.42, 95% CI:1.25, 1.62, p < 0.001) and if this reading was below 90% (OR: 3.29, 95% CI: 2.82, 3.84, p < 0.001). The interviews indicated that the main barriers to pulse oximeter use are inadequate supply, broken pulse oximeters, and insufficient training on how, when, and why to use pulse oximeters and interpret their results. According to the interviews, variation in pulse oximeter use between hospitals is because of differences in pulse oximeter availability and the leadership of senior doctors in advocating for pulse oximeter use, whereas variation within hospitals over time is due to repair delays. Pulse oximeter use increased over time, likely because of the CIN's feedback to hospitals. When pulse oximeters are used, they are sometimes used incorrectly and some healthcare workers lack confidence in readings that contradict clinical signs. The main limitations of the study are that children with high levels of missing data were not excluded, interview participants might not have been representative, and the interviews did not enable a detailed exploration of differences between counties or across senior management groups. CONCLUSIONS: There remain major challenges to implementing pulse oximetry-a cheap, decades old technology-into routine care in Kenya. Implementation requires efficient and transparent procurement and repair systems to ensure adequate availability. Periodic training, structured clinical records that include prompts, the promotion of pulse oximetry by senior doctors, and monitoring and feedback might also support pulse oximeter use. Our findings can inform strategies to support the use of pulse oximeters to guide prompt and effective treatment, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Without effective implementation, the potential benefits of pulse oximeters and possible hospital cost-savings by targeting oxygen therapy might not be realized

Amaranth Leaves and Skimmed Milk Powders Improve the Nutritional, Functional, Physico-Chemical and Sensory Properties of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Flour

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and under nutrition are major public health concerns in developing countries. Diets with high vitamin A and animal protein can help reduce the problem of VAD and under nutrition respectively. In this study, composite flours were developed from orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), amaranth leaves and skimmed milk powders; 78:2:20, 72.5:2.5:25, 65:5:30 and 55:10:35. The physico-chemical characteristics of the composite flours were determined using standard methods while sensory acceptability of porridges was rated on a nine-point hedonic scale using a trained panel. Results indicated a significant (p &lt; 0.05) increase in protein (12.1 to 19.9%), iron (4.8 to 97.4 mg/100 g) and calcium (45.5 to 670.2 mg/100 g) contents of the OFSP-based composite flours. The vitamin A content of composite flours contributed from 32% to 442% of the recommended dietary allowance of children aged 6&ndash;59 months. The composite flours showed a significant (p &lt; 0.05) decrease in solubility, swelling power and scores of porridge attributes with increase in substitution levels of skimmed milk and amaranth leaf powder. The study findings indicate that the OFSP-based composite flours have the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement in the nutrition status of children aged 6&ndash;59 months in developing countries

Production of nutrient‐enhanced millet‐based composite flour using skimmed milk powder and vegetables

The aim of this study was to develop a nutrient‐enhanced millet‐based composite flour incorporating skimmed milk powder and vegetables for children aged 6–59 months. Two processing methods were tested to optimize nutrient content and quality of millet‐based composite flour, namely germination for 0, 24 and 48 hr and roasting at 80, 100, and 140°C. The amount of ingredients in the formulation was determined using Nutri‐survey software. Germinating millet grains for 48 hr at room temperature significantly (p &lt; 0.05) increased protein content (9.3%–10.6%), protein digestibility (22.3%–65.5%), and total sugars (2.2%–5.5%), while phytate content (3.9–3.7 mg/g) decreased significantly (p &lt; 0.05). Roasting millet grains at 140°C significantly (p &lt; 0.05) increased the protein digestibility (22.3%–60.1%) and reduced protein (9.3%–7.8%), phytate (3.9–3.6 mg/g), and total sugar content (2.2%–1.9%). Germinating millet grains at room temperature for 48 hr resulted in millet flour with the best nutritional quality and was adopted for the production of millet‐based composite flour. Addition of vegetables and skimmed milk powder to germinated millet flour significantly (p &lt; 0.05) increased the macro‐ and micronutrient contents and the functional properties of millet‐based composite flour. The study demonstrated that the use of skimmed milk powder and vegetables greatly improves the protein quality and micronutrient profile of millet‐based complementary foods. The product has the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement of nutrition of children in developing countries

Production of nutrient-enhanced millet-based composite flour using skimmed milk powder and vegetables

The aim of this study was to develop a nutrient-enhanced millet-based composite flour incorporating skimmed milk powder and vegetables for children aged 6–59 months. Two processing methods were tested to optimize nutrient content and quality of millet-based composite flour, namely germination for 0, 24 and 48 hr and roasting at 80, 100, and 140°C. The amount of ingredients in the formulation was determined using Nutri-survey software. Germinating millet grains for 48 hr at room temperature significantly (p < 0.05) increased protein content (9.3%–10.6%), protein digestibility (22.3%–65.5%), and total sugars (2.2%–5.5%), while phytate content (3.9–3.7 mg/g) decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Roasting millet grains at 140°C significantly (p < 0.05) increased the protein digestibility (22.3%–60.1%) and reduced protein (9.3%–7.8%), phytate (3.9–3.6 mg/g), and total sugar content (2.2%–1.9%). Germinating millet grains at room temperature for 48 hr resulted in millet flour with the best nutritional quality and was adopted for the production of millet-based composite flour. Addition of vegetables and skimmed milk powder to germinated millet flour significantly (p < 0.05) increased the macro-and micronutrient contents and the functional properties of millet-based composite flour. The study demonstrated that the use of skimmed milk powder and vegetables greatly improves the protein quality and micronutrient profile of millet-based complementary foods. The product has the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement of nutrition of children in developing countries

Effect of skimmed milk and vegetable powders on shelf stability of millet-based composite flour

BACKGROUND: Millet porridge is a major complementary food used in Uganda but it is limited in protein and micronutrientssuch as zinc and beta-carotene. Addition of milk and vegetable powders are known to greatly improve the nutrient content ofmillet flour. However, there was limited information on the shelf stability of the resultant composite flour. This study aimed atassessing the effect of milk and vegetable powders on the shelf stability ofmillet-based composite flour.RESULTS: There was a general increase in the moisture content, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acids (FFA), thiobaturic acid(TBA) and total plate count (TPC) of both composite and millet flours over the eightweeks storage period. However, highermoisture content, PV, FFA, TBA and TPC values were recorded in the composite flour compared to millet flour (control) at eachsampling interval. Sensory evaluation results revealed that panelists preferred porridges prepared from millet only comparedto those fromcomposite flour. The degree of liking of porridges fromboth composite andmillet flours generally decreased overthe storage period.However,bothporridgesweredeemedas acceptableby the endof the storage period. The TPC also remainedbelow 105 cfu g−1 which is the maximum limit recommended by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).CONCLUSION: The study findings indicated that the addition of milk and vegetable powders negatively affected the stabilityof the composite flour.We recommend further studies to stabilize the product during storage.© 2018 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society ofChemical Industry