How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces? A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Inanimate surfaces have often been described as the source for outbreaks of nosocomial infections. The aim of this review is to summarize data on the persistence of different nosocomial pathogens on inanimate surfaces. METHODS: The literature was systematically reviewed in MedLine without language restrictions. In addition, cited articles in a report were assessed and standard textbooks on the topic were reviewed. All reports with experimental evidence on the duration of persistence of a nosocomial pathogen on any type of surface were included. RESULTS: Most gram-positive bacteria, such as Enterococcus spp. (including VRE), Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), or Streptococcus pyogenes, survive for months on dry surfaces. Many gram-negative species, such as Acinetobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, or Shigella spp., can also survive for months. A few others, such as Bordetella pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, Proteus vulgaris, or Vibrio cholerae, however, persist only for days. Mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and spore-forming bacteria, including Clostridium difficile, can also survive for months on surfaces. Candida albicans as the most important nosocomial fungal pathogen can survive up to 4 months on surfaces. Persistence of other yeasts, such as Torulopsis glabrata, was described to be similar (5 months) or shorter (Candida parapsilosis, 14 days). Most viruses from the respiratory tract, such as corona, coxsackie, influenza, SARS or rhino virus, can persist on surfaces for a few days. Viruses from the gastrointestinal tract, such as astrovirus, HAV, polio- or rota virus, persist for approximately 2 months. Blood-borne viruses, such as HBV or HIV, can persist for more than one week. Herpes viruses, such as CMV or HSV type 1 and 2, have been shown to persist from only a few hours up to 7 days. CONCLUSION: The most common nosocomial pathogens may well survive or persist on surfaces for months and can thereby be a continuous source of transmission if no regular preventive surface disinfection is performed

Management Effectiveness of the World's Marine Fisheries

A global analysis shows that fishery management worldwide is lagging far behind international standards, and that the conversion of scientific advice into policy, through a participatory and transparent process, holds promise for achieving sustainable fisheries

Developing Global Maps of the Dominant Anopheles Vectors of Human Malaria

Simon Hay and colleagues describe how the Malaria Atlas Project has collated anopheline occurrence data to map the geographic distributions of the dominant mosquito vectors of human malaria

Relationship Between Trade, Investment and Environment: A Review of Issues

The inter-linkage between economic openness and environmental repercussions is a widely researched area. The current study contributes in the existing pool of research by conducting a cross-country empirical analysis for the year 2008 by exploring the interrelationship between openness indicators (trade and investment) and environmental performance of a country. For this purpose, the analysis separately considers export orientation, import orientation, FDI inwardness and FDI outwardness of the countries in different variations of the proposed empirical model. The regression results do not provide strong support to the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH). The findings also confirm a relationship between socio-economic and socio-political factors in a country and its environmental performance

The Ability of Phenylbutazone and Dexamethazone to Modulate Postoperative Phenomena in Cattle

The ability of phenylbutazone and Dexamethazone to modulate postoperative temperature, limping, joint pain and joint mobility after joint surgery in calves was assessed. Intramuscular injections of 4.4 mg/kg Phenylbutazone or 0.2 mg/kg Dexamethazone were given to two groups of calves immediately after surgical curettage of the left lateral metacarpophalangeal joints. The injections were repeated twice with three-day interval. The drugs were well tolerated and did not appear to impair the general well being of the calves. Both Dexamethazone and Phenylbutazone were effective in reducing pain, limping and fever with a tendency for Dexamethazone to be more potent than Phenylbutazone. However, there was no significant difference between the ability of Dexamethazone and Phenylbutazone to modulate these phenomena (p < 0.05). The results indicate that controlled use of the anti-inflammatory drugs in the immediate post-operative period in cattle is beneficial. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 28 2005: pp. 29-3

Assessment of socio-demographic factors influence on nurses’ adherence to protocols on nasogastric tube feeding in a county teaching and referral hospital, Kenya

Objective: Adherence to the standard protocols during nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding is paramount. Although there are guidelines on nasogastric feeding in various hospitals in Kenya, there is a gap between the recommended and actual practice by nurses. This study aimed to assess adherence to protocols on NGT feeding among nurses in Medical, surgical wards and Intensive care unit (ICU) of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching &amp; Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). Design: An analytical cross-sectional study design was used in this study. Participants: The study population were nurses taking care of patients in medical wards, surgical wards and ICU unit at JOOTRH. Census approach was used in this study to include all 3 nurses. Data sources: A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from the nurses. To collect data on the current practices on NGT feeding and adherence to protocols, an observational checklist was used. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and chi-square tests with the help of SPSS, at a P value of 0.05. Results and conclusion: Majority 66.7% (n=44) of the participants had low NGT adherence. The level of education (p=0.004) and working experience (p=0.034) were significantly associated with adherence. There is therefore a low level of adherence to protocols on NGT among nurses in JOOTRH. There ought to be frequent continuous medical education and training dedicated to NGT. The training should sensitize on assessment of patient nutritional status and proper practice of NGT feeding