A Personal Respirator to Improve Protection for Healthcare Workers Treating COVID-19 (PeRSo)

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection is a global pandemic. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect healthcare workers has been a recurrent challenge in terms of global stocks, supply logistics and suitability. In some settings, around 20% of healthcare workers treating COVID-19 cases have become infected, which leads to staff absence at peaks of the pandemic, and in some cases mortality.Methods: To address shortcomings in PPE, we developed a simple powered air purifying respirator, made from inexpensive and widely available components. The prototype was designed to minimize manufacturing complexity so that derivative versions could be developed in low resource settings with minor modification.Results: The “Personal Respirator – Southampton” (PeRSo) delivers High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered air from a battery powered fan-filter assembly into a lightweight hood with a clear visor that can be comfortably worn for several hours. Validation testing demonstrates that the prototype removes microbes, avoids excessive CO2 build-up in normal use, and passes fit test protocols widely used to evaluate standard N95/FFP2 and N99/FFP3 face masks. Feedback from doctors and nurses indicate the PeRSo prototype was preferred to standard FFP2 and FFP3 masks, being more comfortable and reducing the time and risk of recurrently changing PPE. Patients report better communication and reassurance as the entire face is visible.Conclusion: Rapid upscale of production of cheaply produced powered air purifying respirators, designed to achieve regulatory approval in the country of production, could protect healthcare workers from infection and improve healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic

Gram negative bacteria related urinary tract infections: spectrum of antimicrobial resistance over 9 years in a University tertiary referral Hospital

Objective: Overuse of antibiotics has led to an increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide, with a negative impact on the healthcare system and the patients. In this context, our study aims to assess the current AMR patterns of urinary tract infections (UTIs) associated to Gram-negative bacteria. Thus, we provide useful information for doctors dealing with prophylactic and therapeutic empiric therapies. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analysed more than 650,000 urine cultures collected in the Microbiology Department of a referral University Hospital of Southern England from January 2014 to December 2022. Results: AMR spectra for 164,059 Gram-negative associated (UTIs) were analysed. The lowest percentage of resistance was found for Amikacin (2.30%), Gentamicin (5.89%) and Co-Amoxiclav (10.49%). Over a 9-year time, there was no significant change in resistance to Amikacin (2.04% in 2014 compared to 2.18% in 2022; p  = 0.602) and to Fosfomycin (11.50% in 2014 versus 16.65% in 2022; p  = 0.577). Overall, the trend of AMR significantly rose for Cefalexin (17.96–18.42%; p  < 0.0001), Co-amoxiclav (9.46–12.69%; p  < 0.0001), Nitrofurantoin (10.20–14.18%; p  < 0.0001) and Piperacillin/Tazobactam (14.52–18.96%; p  < 0.0001). Gram-negative resistance spectrum towards Ciprofloxacin (11.83–9.01%; p  < 0.0001), Gentamicin (6.29–5.26%; p  < 0.0001), Pivmecillinam (26.88–11.02%; p  < 0.0001), Trimethoprim (36.72–29.23%; p  < 0.0001) and Ampicillin/Amoxicillin (65.20–57.99%; p  < 0.0001) significantly decreased. Conclusion: Despite the application of national and international guidelines for prophylaxis and treatment of UTIs, the spectrum of resistance for the most common antibiotics is still changing. Clinicians in primary and secondary care must keep that in mind when prescribing antibiotics for suspected UTI and sepsis associated with Gram-negative infections Up-to-date therapeutic strategies can help implement treatment of UTI, reducing selection of multi-resistant pathogens and providing more accurate care for patients. Future studies will be required to help clinicians and keep the guidelines updated

Analgesic and antipyretic activities of Momordica charantia Linn. fruits

Plant Momordica charantia Linn. belongs to family Cucurbitaceae. It is known as bitter gourd in English and karela in Hindi. Earlier claims show that the plant is used in stomachic ailments as a carminative tonic; as an antipyretic and antidiabetic agent; and in rheumatoid arthritis and gout. The fruit has been claimed to contain charantin, steroidal saponin, momordium, carbohydrates, mineral matters, ascorbic acid, alkaloids, glucosides, etc. The ethanolic extract of the fruit showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, steroids, proteins, and carbohydrates. The present study was carried out using acetic acid-induced writhing and tail-immersion tests in mice, while yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. The ethanolic extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg, po.) showed an analgesic and antipyretic effect, which was significantly higher than that in the control rats. The observed pharmacological activities provide the scientific basis to support traditional claims as well as explore some new and promising leads

Environmental contamination and personal protective equipment contamination with SARS-CoV-2 virus in a real-life clinical setting

The importance of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via contact routes and its stability on surfaces is becoming increasingly recognised. There is ongoing concern that patients can become infected through person-to-person spread and environment-to-person spread. This study assessed whether SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA can be detected in the environment either on staff members’ personal protective equipment (PPE), on high-touch surfaces or around the bedspace of COVID-19–positive patients in a range of different ward settings to evaluate if there was any contamination of these. Results showed all PPE and high-touch surface swabs were negative. All swabs taken in the negative-pressure room where aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) were being undertaken detected viral RNA (5/5 positive), whereas there was minimal contamination in the intensive therapy unit (1/5 positive) and none detected in the cohort bay. These findings would be consistent with the understanding that areas where AGPs are regularly performed are at higher risk of environmental contamination.</p

Bacterial pathogens detection and antimicrobial resistance testing using paper-based devices for urinary tract infections (UTIS)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified by the World Health Organisation as a global threat and there is an urgent need for low-cost but reliable point-of-care diagnostics for early screening of infections especially in developing countries lacking in basic infrastructure and trained personnel. This work is aimed at developing unique paper-based microfluidic devices for infection testing by an unskilled user in a low resource setting. The device, fabricated using a laser-based technique, enables both the identification of an infection-causing pathogen and subsequently its susceptibility to antibiotics, via a simple visually observable color change

Dataset for Laser patterned paper-based devices for rapid point-of-care detection and antibiotic-resistance testing of bacterial infections

Data as part of the journal publication. He, P. J. W., Katis, I. N., Kumar, A. J. U., Bryant, C. A., Keevil, C. W., Somani, B. K., ... Sones, C. L. (2020). Laser-patterned paper-based sensors for rapid point-of-care detection and antibiotic-resistance testing of bacterial infections. Biosensors &amp; Bioelectronics, 152, 112008. DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112008</span

Laser-patterned paper-based sensors for rapid point-of-care detection and antibiotic-resistance testing of bacterial infections

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified by the World Health Organisation as a global threat that currently claims at least 25,000 deaths each year in Europe and 700,000 globally; the number is projected to reach 10 million per year between 2015 and 2050. Therefore, there is an urgent need for low-cost but reliable point-of-care diagnostics for early screening of infections especially in developing countries lacking in basic infrastructure and trained personnel. This work is aimed at developing such a device, a paper-based microfluidic device for infection testing by an unskilled user in a low resource setting. Here, we present our work relating to the use of our laser-patterned paper-based devices for detection and susceptibility testing of Escherichia coli, via a simple visually observable colour change. The results indicate the suitability of our integrated paper devices for timely identification of bacterial infections at the point-of-care and their usefulness in providing a hugely beneficial pathway for accurate antibiotic prescribing and thus a novel route to tackling the global challenge of AMR.</p

A Personal respirator to improve protection for healthcare workers treating COVID-19 (PeRSo)

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection is a global pandemic. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect healthcare workers has been a recurrent challenge in terms of global stocks, supply logistics and suitability. Around 20% of healthcare workers treating COVID-19 cases have become infected, which leads to staff absence at peaks of the pandemic, and in some cases mortality.Methods: To address current shortcomings in PPE, we developed a simple powered air purifying respirator, made from inexpensive and widely available components. The prototype was designed to minimise manufacturing complexity so that derivative versions could be developed in low resource settings with minor modification.Results: The “Personal Respirator – Southampton” (PeRSo) delivers High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered air from a battery powered fan-filter assembly into a lightweight hood with a clear visor that can be comfortably worn for several hours. Validation testing demonstrates that the prototype removes microbes, avoids excessive CO2 build-up in normal use, and passes fit test protocols widely used to evaluate standard N95/FFP2 and N99/FFP3 face masks. Feedback from doctors and nurses indicate the PeRSo prototype was preferred to standard FFP2 and FFP3 masks, being more comfortable and reducing the time and risk of recurrently changing PPE. Patients report better communication and reassurance as the entire face is visible. Conclusion: Rapid upscale of production of cheaply produced powered air purifying respirators, designed to achieve regulatory approval in the country of production, could protect healthcare workers from infection and improve healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic