Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Health Care Workers in Management of Bio-Medical Waste – A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Management of Bio-Medical Waste involves a great concern. Therefore, awareness of Health-Care Workers (HCWs) becomes very important as improper management leads to injuries and the spread of infection to the staff, patients, and environment. The objective is to assess the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) among Health Care Professionals regarding Bio-Medical Waste Management (BMWM). Method: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among HCWs at GMC Jammu, India. Study participants were divided into III groups (Group I- 32 Doctors, group II- 48 Paramedical staff including nurses & laboratory technicians, and group III- 20 sanitary workers). Data was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire regarding BMWM and scored as good, average, and poor. Results: In our study, knowledge regarding symbols of BMWM and awareness regarding categories and segregation of BMW was good in I and II groups but averaged in group III. None in group III has attended CME regarding BMWM in the past. In contrast, this percentage was 61% in group II and 31% in group I. Regarding the capping and destroying of needles, 88% of Paramedics were doing it correctly. None of the class IV employees received the booster dose of HBV vaccination. Conclusion: Knowledge regarding BMWM was average in Group I and Group II, whereas Group III had the slightest knowledge. Attitude regarding the BMW was good in the case of groups I and II, Whereas Group III scored average. Practices were scored average in Group I, good in Group II, and poor in group III

A Retrospective study on ICU isolates on Tracheostomy tube and their antimicrobial profile

Introduction: The tracheostomized patients are likely to develop pneumonia causing life threatening consequences due to severe, persistent, resistant infections. Objective: This study was done with the aim to identify the common organisms which cause Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI) and their resistant pattern of ventilated patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on the patients who underwent tracheostomy in ICU of Government Medical College, Jammu. The samples were processed according to established departmental protocols. Results: Out of 54 samples, 50(93%) were culture positive. 6samples were found to be polymicrobial. 4 samples showed no growth. Citrobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp. being the commonest species isolated. Citrobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp., Proteus sp. and Staphylococcus aureus showed high degree of resistance while Pseudomonas sp. and Escherichia coli showed moderate resistance. The gram negative bacilli were all sensitive to Colistin and Polymixin B. Staphylococcus aureus was 100% sensitive to Vancomycin. Conclusions: Intubated patients are the risk factor for development of RTI and to the increase in morbidity and mortality. Inappropriate and inadequate antibiotic treatment causes emergence of drug resistance in pathogens and poor prognosis in patients. The study reported the alarming condition of MDR in tracheal aspirates. Hence, surveillance for source of Multi Drug Resistant bacteria would be beneficial for intervention of infection related to it