22 research outputs found
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Aseptic Barriers Allow a Clean Contact for Contaminated Stethoscope Diaphragms.
Objective:To determine whether a single-use stethoscope diaphragm barrier surface remains aseptic when placed on pathogen-contaminated stethoscopes. Methods:From May 31 to August 5, 2019, we tested 2 separate barriers using 3 different strains of 7 human pathogens, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium. Results:For all diaphragms with either of the 2 barriers tested, no growth was recorded for any of the pathogens. Stethoscopes with aseptic barriers remained sterile for up to 24 hours. These single-use barriers also provided aseptic surfaces when stethoscope diaphragms were inoculated with human specimens, including saliva, stool, urine, and sputum. Conclusion:Disposable aseptic diaphragm barriers may provide robust and efficient solutions to reduce transmission of pathogens via stethoscopes
Bi-allelic Loss-of-Function CACNA1B Mutations in Progressive Epilepsy-Dyskinesia.
The occurrence of non-epileptic hyperkinetic movements in the context of developmental epileptic encephalopathies is an increasingly recognized phenomenon. Identification of causative mutations provides an important insight into common pathogenic mechanisms that cause both seizures and abnormal motor control. We report bi-allelic loss-of-function CACNA1B variants in six children from three unrelated families whose affected members present with a complex and progressive neurological syndrome. All affected individuals presented with epileptic encephalopathy, severe neurodevelopmental delay (often with regression), and a hyperkinetic movement disorder. Additional neurological features included postnatal microcephaly and hypotonia. Five children died in childhood or adolescence (mean age of death: 9 years), mainly as a result of secondary respiratory complications. CACNA1B encodes the pore-forming subunit of the pre-synaptic neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.2/N-type, crucial for SNARE-mediated neurotransmission, particularly in the early postnatal period. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in CACNA1B are predicted to cause disruption of Ca2+ influx, leading to impaired synaptic neurotransmission. The resultant effect on neuronal function is likely to be important in the development of involuntary movements and epilepsy. Overall, our findings provide further evidence for the key role of Cav2.2 in normal human neurodevelopment.MAK is funded by an NIHR Research Professorship and receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Charity, and Rosetrees Trust. E.M. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust (CD-A53) and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. K.G. received funding from Temple Street Foundation. A.M. is funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and Biomedical Research Centre. F.L.R. and D.G. are funded by Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. K.C. and A.S.J. are funded by NIHR Bioresource for Rare Diseases. The DDD Study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number HICF-1009-003), a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant number WT098051). We acknowledge support from the UK Department of Health via the NIHR comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy's and St. Thomas' National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. This research was also supported by the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. J.H.C. is in receipt of an NIHR Senior Investigator Award. The research team acknowledges the support of the NIHR through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, Department of Health, or Wellcome Trust. E.R.M. acknowledges support from NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, an NIHR Senior Investigator Award, and the University of Cambridge has received salary support in respect of E.R.M. from the NHS in the East of England through the Clinical Academic Reserve. I.E.S. is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Program Grant and Practitioner Fellowship)
Letter to the editor: Concerning the paper entitled “TC (Giloy) induced liver injury…” by Anand Kulkarni et al.
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Stethoscope hygiene: A legal consideration for cardiologists practicing in a new era of infection control (COVID-19).
The stethoscope is a tool cherished by the field of cardiology and ubiquitous throughout medicine. However, little consideration has been given to its safe usage regarding its potential for pathogenic contamination despite thorough evidence that stethoscopes can harbor pathogens that can be transmitted to patients upon contact. The COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) pandemic has led to increased infection control vigilance, including toward the stethoscope, as evidenced by a recent increase in literature highlighting stethoscope hygiene/contamination. A consequence of this increase in awareness is that stethoscopes may be implicated in medical malpractice lawsuits as a potential cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). While there is limited evidence demonstrating a direct connection between stethoscope contamination and HAIs, malpractice lawsuits often do not require direct causative evidence. Regardless, efforts should be made to bolster stethoscope hygiene to not only mitigate patient harm, but also prevent providers from potential medical-legal conflicts. The continued relevance and utility of the stethoscope as a rapid, cost-effective diagnostic tool needs to be appropriately balanced with increased hygiene performance. Providers should anticipate increased scientific evidence and patient awareness regarding stethoscope contamination in the post-COVID-19 era
Graphene and Graphene-Based Composites: A Rising Star in Water Purification - A Comprehensive Overview
Graphene is an interesting two-dimensional carbon sheet possessing
single-layered atom thickness that confers unique physical
and chemical properties. The pristine graphene sheets have
some limited applications in water purification, but the modification
of graphene into the graphene composite by the incorporation
of some functional groups or nanoparticles on the
surface extensively increases its environmental applications. Recently,
graphene nanocomposites have found to show very
promising applications in all types of water purification. The
present review highlights the recent developments in the applications
of graphene and graphene-based composites as adsorbent,
catalyst, photocatalyst, electrocatalyst, photoelectrocatalyst,
and disinfection and desalination agent in
comprehensive water purification systems. We primarily focus
on the environmental engineering applications of graphene
nanocomposites as sorbent materials for the elimination of toxic
inorganic (cationic and anionic), organic, and mixed/multiple
pollutants, and as catalysts for the degradation of toxic organic
contaminants using catalytic oxidation, photocatalytic oxidation,
electrocatalytic oxidation, and photoelectrocatalytic oxidation.
We have also discussed the use and feasibility of graphene
nanocomposites in water disinfection and desalination.
Finally, the future challenges and perspectives are discussed
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Aseptic Stethoscope Barriers Prevent C difficile Transmission In Vitro
ObjectiveTo evaluate whether Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile-contaminated stethoscope diaphragms remained aseptic by the placement of an aseptic diaphragm barrier.MethodsOn November 1, 2019, fresh cultures of C difficile were diluted to 107 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL and used to inoculate 16 stethoscope diaphragms; 8 had an aseptic diaphragm barrier applied and 8 served as nonbarrier controls. Contaminated stethoscopes were anaerobically incubated, then swabbed at 15 and 30 minutes, 2 and 4 hours, and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after inoculation and subsequently plated onto blood, chocolate, and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. Plates were incubated for 48 hours and on November 9, 2019, the resulting colonies were manually counted. Statistical analyses (RStudio, version 1.0.153) used analysis of variance with post hoc Tukey honestly significant difference.ResultsOverall, mean colony count was 33 CFU on stethoscopes without barriers vs zero on those with barriers (P≤.05). Growth was greatest at 48 hours, with colony counts as high as 160 CFU. The presence of the barrier resulted in no growth in 100% of stethoscope diaphragms for up to 1 week.ConclusionWe found that stethoscope diaphragm barriers provide an aseptic patient contact point, thus reducing the potential for transmission of C difficile during the physical examination. In critical care environments, in which many hospitals use acoustically inferior disposable stethoscopes, the option of a disposable aseptic stethoscope barrier may allow high-quality auscultation while reducing the potential for pathogen transmission
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816. Effectiveness of Aseptic Stethoscope Barriers in Allowing Clean Contact for Clostridioides Difficile-Contaminated Stethoscopes
Abstract
Background
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), such as C. difficile colitis, pose a significant health risk. C. difficile is a spore-forming gram-positive anaerobic bacillus capable of surviving on various surfaces. While a strong emphasis has been placed on hand-washing and environmental cleaning with bleach products to limit the spread of C. difficile, stethoscope contamination has been poorly addressed. Studies have demonstrated that the stethoscope diaphragm harbors similar levels and type of contamination to one’s hands. While a non-alcohol-based solution is recommended for stethoscope hygiene in settings at risk for C. difficile, the use of an aseptic stethoscope diaphragm barrier has not been evaluated. Our purpose is to evaluate whether C. difficile-contaminated stethoscope diaphragms remain aseptic by the placement of an aseptic diaphragm barrier.
Methods
Fresh cultures of C. difficile were diluted to 107 CFU/mL. After inoculating 16 stethoscope diaphragms with C. difficile, 8 had an aseptic diaphragm barrier applied, and 8 served as non-barrier controls. Contaminated stethoscopes were placed in an anaerobic incubator, then swabbed at 15 and 30 minutes, 2 and 4 hours, and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after inoculation, and subsequently plated onto blood, chocolate, and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. These plates were incubated for 48 hours, and resulting colonies were manually counted. Statistical analysis was performed (RStudio version 1.0.153) by ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) with post-hoc Tukey HSD (Honestly Significant Difference).
Results
Overall, mean colony count was 33 CFU on the 8 stethoscope diaphragms without barriers, vs zero on those with barriers (p≤ 0.05). Growth rates were greatest at 48 hours, with colony counts as high as 160. While stethoscope diaphragms without barriers had increasing rates of C. difficile culture growth, the presence of the barrier resulted in no growth in 100% of stethoscope diaphragms for up to 1 week after contamination (Figure 1).
C. difficile colony counts from stethoscope diaphragms at time-points up to 1 week.
Conclusion
Aseptic barriers allow C. difficile-contaminated stethoscope diaphragms to remain without bacterial growth for up to a week. Disposable aseptic diaphragm barriers may be effective in preventing the spread of C. difficile.
Disclosures
William F. Peacock, MD, AseptiScope Inc. (Board Member
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Trends in LDL-C following coronary angiography involving assessment by fractional flow reserve in obstructive vs non-obstructive coronary artery disease
BackgroundWe sought to determine whether management of LDL-C following invasive angiography and assessment by fractional flow reserve (FFR) differs between those with obstructive vs non-obstructive CAD.MethodsRetrospective study of 721 patients undergoing coronary angiography involving assessment by FFR between 2013 and 2020 at a single academic center. Groups with obstructive vs non-obstructive CAD by index angiographic and FFR findings were compared over 1 year of follow-up.ResultsBased on index angiographic and FFR findings, 421 (58%) patients had obstructive CAD vs 300 (42%) with non-obstructive CAD, mean (±SD) age 66±11 years, 217 (30%) women, and 594 (82%) white. There was no difference in baseline LDL-C. At 3-months follow-up, LDL-C was lower than baseline in both groups, with no between group difference. In contrast, at 6-months, median (Q1, Q3) LDL-C was significantly higher in non-obstructive vs obstructive CAD (LDL-C 73 (60, 93) vs 63 (48, 77) mg/dL, respectively (p = 0.003), (p = 0.001 in multivariable linear regression)). At 12-months, LDL-C remained higher in non-obstructive vs obstructive CAD (LDL-C 73 (49, 86) vs 64 (48, 79) mg/dL, respectively, although not statistically significant (p = 0.104)). The rate of high-intensity statin use was lower among those with non-obstructive CAD vs obstructive CAD at all time points (p < 0.05).ConclusionsAfter coronary angiography involving FFR, there is intensification of LDL-C lowering at 3-months follow-up in both obstructive and non-obstructive CAD. However, by 6-months follow-up LDL-C is significantly higher among those with non-obstructive CAD vs obstructive CAD. Following coronary angiography involving FFR, patients with non-obstructive CAD may benefit from greater attention to LDL-C lowering to reduce residual ASCVD risk