Bacterial colonization of stethoscope used in the tertiary care teaching hospital: a potential source of nosocomial infection

Background: Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are a major problem in each hospital. HAI remains a significant hazard for hospitalized patients and health care workers are potential sources of these infections. Health care workers can transmit pathogens through their hands and contaminated medical devices such as stethoscopes, Blood pressure cuff etc. Hence we intended to determine the level of bacterial contamination of stethoscopes using in present hospital.Methods: Total of 50 stethoscopes were sampled before and after cleaning with 70% isopropyl alcohol by using sterile swab soaked in sterile saline. Samples were processed as per standard microbiological procedures.Results: Out of 50 stethoscopes, 30 (60%) stethoscopes were showing significant bacterial colonization, 7 (14%) showed insignificant colonization, and in 13 (26%) stethoscopes no growth was observed. The bacteria isolated were Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aurues (MRSA) (14%), Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (12%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CNS) (14%), Klebsiella species (20%).Conclusions: Our study concluded that stethoscopes used by health care workers were colonized by both pathogens and non-pathogenic microorganisms. Strict protocol of cleaning the stethoscopes in between the patients will eliminate the colonization and there by spread of infections

Bacterial colonization of stethoscope used in the tertiary care teaching hospital: a potential source of nosocomial infection

Background: Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are a major problem in each hospital. HAI remains a significant hazard for hospitalized patients and health care workers are potential sources of these infections. Health care workers can transmit pathogens through their hands and contaminated medical devices such as stethoscopes, Blood pressure cuff etc. Hence we intended to determine the level of bacterial contamination of stethoscopes using in present hospital.Methods: Total of 50 stethoscopes were sampled before and after cleaning with 70% isopropyl alcohol by using sterile swab soaked in sterile saline. Samples were processed as per standard microbiological procedures.Results: Out of 50 stethoscopes, 30 (60%) stethoscopes were showing significant bacterial colonization, 7 (14%) showed insignificant colonization, and in 13 (26%) stethoscopes no growth was observed. The bacteria isolated were Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aurues (MRSA) (14%), Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (12%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CNS) (14%), Klebsiella species (20%).Conclusions: Our study concluded that stethoscopes used by health care workers were colonized by both pathogens and non-pathogenic microorganisms. Strict protocol of cleaning the stethoscopes in between the patients will eliminate the colonization and there by spread of infections

Physicochemical, Druggable, ADMET Pharmacoinformatics and Therapeutic Potentials of Azadirachtin - a Prenol Lipid (Triterpenoid) from Seed Oil Extracts of Azadirachta indica A. Juss.

Azadirachtin (AZA) is the most abundant bioactive secondary metabolite (BASM) in neem seed oil extract (NSOE) of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. AZA is localised in different parts of the plant (seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, stem, bark and root) however, with varying degree of concentration. It has been documented that maximum concentration of AZA is present to the tune of 48000 μg g-1 in the seeds. It has been established that the environmental conditions determines the overall content and composition of BASM in different parts of the plant. Neem plant parts are most commonly used as therapeutic agents in remote villages in India for its ethnomedicinal therapeutic potentials; however, its physicochemical, druggable and pharmacological properties inadequately described. In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate the physicochemical, druggable and pharmacological properties of Azadirachtin in NSOE of A. indica from ADMET perspectives. Keywords: NEEM; Azadirachta indica; Azadirachtin; Pharmacoinformatics; ADMET; Drug-Likeness; Toxicolog

Efficiency Enhancement of Photovoltaic Cell

ABSTRACT: The solar PV is an exciting technology but suffers from low efficiency. A study on low efficiency in multi MW solar power plants reveals that the electric yield of the PV modules is reduced due to reflection from the sun and when a module temperature is elevated, there is decrease in the voltage and efficiency. This paper is an effort to improve the efficiency of the solar photovoltaic panels by active cooling to reduce the temperature losses and by using optical filter to reduce reflection losses considerably to some extent. The hardware implements a cooling technology which incorporates water as a coolant so that the temperature losses are reduced and the efficiency is enhanced, also it has a solar tracker with LDR circuit and DC motor for moving the solar panel to achieve better insolation. The effects of frequency of solar radiation (electro-magnetic radiation) on solar insolation and efficiency using optical filters have been studied

GCMS Profile of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites with Therapeutic Potential in the Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Azadirachta indica¬: A Sacred Traditional Medicinal Plant of INDIA

Neem (Azadirachta indica) a member of Meliaceae plays an immense role in human health and disease which is attributed to its composition of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites (BASM). It has been widely used in Indian Traditional Systems of Medicine that includes Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy and other Folklore Systems of Medicine practiced in the Indian Subcontinent for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Current global health perspectives and medical practice in the post COVID era has no other way but to seek to merge alternative systems of medicine with evidence-based therapeutic aspects for a better understanding of the metabolic process and its effects in the human body. The studies based on animal model established that neem and its chief constituents play pivotal role in anticancer management through the modulation of various molecular pathways including p53, pTEN, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, Bcl-2, and VEGF. Besides, NEEM plays a vital role in the management of diabetics and its associated long term complication through ROS scavenging and ameliorative potentials to restore oxidative injury/ inhibit enzymes linked to. Overall NEEM is considered as GRAS medicinal plant that modulates metabolic inflammations without side effects. Though it has been confirmed that neem and its constituents play role in the scavenging of free radical and prevention of disease pathogenesis, a clear scientific basis of its pharmacoinformatics is still lacking. Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS) analysis of the fractions revealed the presence of 62 metabolites. Keywords: Azadirachta indica; NEEM; GCMS; Bioactive Secondary Metabolites; GRAS; Medicinal Plant