Prevalence of Dyslipidemia among Healthy University Students: Fayoum Governorate, Egypt.

Introduction:. Dyslipidemia is a well known and major modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Increased prevalence of these abnormalities in young adulthood, increase the prevalence of CHD later on life. Objectives: to estimate the prevalence and patterns of serum lipid profiles and associated factors among university students in Fayoum University students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a group of 384 Fayoum university students. Fasting blood samples were collected from all participants and assayed for fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL). Results: According to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, the overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 44.3% , hypercholesterolemia prevalence was 38.8%, hypertrigyceridemia 29.7%   low HDL-C 27.1% and high LDL-C 33.1%  Significant associated factors of dyslipidemia among study participants were urban residence, increasing age,  physical inactivity ,overweight&obesity, abdominal obesity frequent fast food consumption and Low fruit and vegetables consumption Conclusion: The prevalence of dyslipidemia is high among Fayoum university students, important associated factors are obesity and overweight,  physical inactivity , unhealthy dietary habits  that need to be tackled through intervention programs

Malnutrition and Its Associated Factors among Rural School Children in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

Malnutrition is an increasing health problem among children in developing countries. We assessed the level of malnutrition and associated factors among school children in a rural setting in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. A school based cross-sectional survey was conducted on children (6–17 years) in Manshit El Gamal village in Tamia district of Fayoum Governorate. Weight, height, and age data were used to calculate z-scores of the three nutritional indicators using WHO anthroPlus. Sociodemographics and lifestyles Data were collected. Prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting was 34.2%, 3.4%, and 0.9%, respectively, while obesity was 14.9%. Prevalence of obesity was significantly higher in younger age group of 6–9 years in comparison with older age and was higher in males versus females in 10–13-year-age group. Increasing age, reduced poultry consumption, and escaping breakfast were associated factors for stunting with OR (95% CI) 1.27 (1.17–1.37), 2.19 (1.4–3.4), and 2.3 (1.07–5.03). Younger age and regular employment of the father were factors associated with obesity (OR = 0.753; 0.688–0.824 and OR = 2.217; 1.4–3.5). Malnutrition is highly prevalent in Fayoum in line with the national prevalence and associated with age, gender, regularity of father’s employment, and dietary factors

Transfusion transmitted infections in frequently transfused thalassemic children living in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt: Current prevalence and risk factors

Regular blood transfusion therapy remains the primary treatment in thalassemia major (TM). Transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) and iron overload are considered to be the major drawbacks of this therapy. This cross-sectional study aimed to update the prevalence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, PCR-confirmed HCV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody among TM children. Clinical and epidemiological factors that can affect HCV infection prevalence rate were studied. This study evaluated 121 children with βTM, including 61 males and 60 females with a mean age of 7.99 ± 3.57 years. Patients were evaluated for the HCV, HBsAg, and HIV-1 & 2 antibodies. All tests were performed using ELISA. HCV positive cases were confirmed by RT-PCR. Twenty-five patients were positive for the HCV antibody (20.7%); 22 were confirmed positive by PCR. Six patients (5%) were HBsAg-positive. No patients were HIV-positive. Older age were associated with an increased frequency of HCV positive infection (P < 0.003). More frequent transfusion, ≥10 times/year, and older age, ≥10 years, were reported as predictors of HCV infection (P = 0.018 and 0.011, respectively). A significant association of HCV between HBV infections was reported (P value = 0.01). There was no significant effect of the pre-transfusion or post-transfusion hemoglobin level on the frequency of HCV positive cases. HCV still represents a major health challenge for frequently transfused Egyptian patients. The prevalence rate of HBV infection remains relatively high. Therefore, it is necessary to implement measures to improve blood transfusion screening. Keywords: Thalassmia major, Transfusion, HCV, Seroprevalence, PC

Hospital outpatient clinics as a potential hazard for healthcare associated infections

Summary: Healthcare acquired infections are no longer confined to the hospital environment. Recently, many reported outbreaks have been linked to outpatient settings and attributed to non-adherence to recommended infection-prevention procedures. This study was divided into two parts: The first is a descriptive cross-sectional part, to assess the healthcare personnel's knowledge and compliance with Standard Precautions (SP). The second is an intervention part to assess the role of health education on reducing the level of environmental and reusable medical equipment bacterial contamination. Assessment of the doctors’ and nurses’ knowledge and compliance with SP was performed using a self-administered questionnaire. Assessment of environmental cleaning (EC) and reusable medical equipment disinfection has been performed using aseptic swabbing method. The extent of any growth was recorded according to the suggested standards: (A) Presence of indicator organisms, with the proposed standard being <1 cfu/cm2. These include Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), Enterococci, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and various multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. (B) Aerobic colony count, the suggested standard is <5 cfu/cm2. The effect of health education intervention on cleaning and disinfection had been analyzed by comparing the difference in cleaning level before and after interventional education. Good knowledge and compliance scores were found in more than 50% of participants. Primary screening found poor EC and equipment disinfection as 67% and 83.3% of stethoscopes and ultrasound transducers, respectively, were contaminated with indicator organisms. For all indicator organisms, a significant reduction was detected after intervention (p = 0.00). Prevalence of MRSA was 38.9% and 16.7%, of the total S. aureus isolates, before and after intervention, respectively. Although 27.8% of the total Enterococcus isolates were VRE before intervention, no VRE isolates were detected after intervention. These differences were significant. Development and monitoring of the implementation of infection prevention policies and training of HCP is recommended. Keywords: Standard Precautions, Multidrug resistant bacteria, Hospital environment, MRS

Importance of patient education in management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an intervention study

Background People living with chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are extremely in need of patient education (PE) to adapt and cope with the effects of the disease and treatments. PE comprises all educational activities provided for patients, including aspects of therapeutic education, health education, and health promotion. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PE program following the eight evidence-based EULAR-2015 recommendations in the management of patients with RA. Patients and methods A randomized controlled clinical trial with two parallel arms was carried out at the Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Egypt. One hundred patients (both sexes) having RA were included in the study, and their mean age was 39.23±11.28 years, with range from 19 to 71 years. Patients were randomly allocated into two comparable groups: group I received health education through designed PE program and group II did not receive PE program. Disease activity and disability were assessed at the start of study and at two visits later, that is, after 3 months and 6 months, by using the 28 joint disease activity score 28 and the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index. Results On comparing laboratory investigation and outcome scores at follow-up visits, although there were no significant differences between the two study groups regarding laboratory investigation, disease activity score 28 and Health Assessment Questionnaire scores at the start of the study, comparative differences were reported in the follow-up visits. Significant decreases in the laboratory values and scores were reported in group I, whereas no difference was reported in group II. Conclusion PE interventions in patients with RA documented significant improvements in behavior, pain, and disability among these patients

Acanthamoeba keratitis in noncompliant soft contact lenses users: Genotyping and risk factors, a study from Cairo, Egypt

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe corneal infection that may occur as a serious outcome of improper use of contact lenses (CL). Objectives: The study aimed to diagnose AK in soft CL users presenting with infectious keratitis, and to identify the prevalent genotypes isolated from different cases. Another aim was to determine the CL hygiene-related risk behaviors, and to explore the risk of water exposure for developing AK. Methods: A cross sectional study was performed. A questionnaire was carried out including 260 clinically diagnosed cases as infectious keratitis (170 females and 90 males); all of them were soft CL users for the suspected risk factors. Corneal scrapes from the affected eyes were cultured to diagnose bacterial and AK. PCR was performed and the amplified products were sequenced and compared with GenBank data. Results: The parasite was positively amplified from 32 samples (12.3%). Acanthamoeba T4 genotype was identified in 27/32 (84.4%) of isolates. Other detected genotypes belonged to T5 and T3 genotypes at rates of 9.4%, and 6.25%, respectively. The most important risk factors associated with development of AK were female sex, sleeping while wearing CL, and exposure to water resources through different practices. These practices included rinsing the CL case in tap water, swimming and/or showering while wearing CL, using multipurpose solution for cleaning the lenses, using water from over-building tanks. Rubbing the eyes due to discomfort when applying CL was an additional important risk factor associated with AK. The protective factor was regular hand washing before using CL. Conclusion: CL users were more exposed to AK and should gain enough health education regarding proper lens hygiene and dangers of tap water exposure. Keywords: Acanthamoeba keratitis, Soft contact lens, Genotyping, Hygiene, Cleaning solutions, Tap wate

Children patients with COVID‐19: How can parental and peer support lessen the psychological burden of isolation

Abstract Aim To assess the effect of parental and peer support on children's self‐esteem during the isolation period in COVID‐19‐infected children is the main objective of this study. Design This is a descriptive cross‐sectional study. One hundred ninety children with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID‐19 were included. Methods A survey questionnaire to assess family and children's demographic characteristics was used for this study. A 13‐item scale to assess parental support during the isolation period and a 10‐item scale to assess peers' support during the isolation period were evaluated. Along with it, a 10‐item scale to assess self‐esteem during the isolation period was also measured. Results Home isolation was associated with higher parental and peer support scores than hospital isolation. The mean age of study participants was 13.23 ± 4.05 years; 52.6% were isolated at home versus 47.4% in hospital isolation. Phone calling and WhatsApp/messenger chat were methods of communication for 44.2% and 33.2% of patients, respectively. 6.3% of them had no method of communication. Child self‐esteem was significantly affected by both parental and peer support during isolation. The increase in pronounced negative psychological effects such as disorientation, anger, low self‐esteem and post‐traumatic distress may be caused by a lack of parental care. No patient or public contribution to this study Patients or the general public were not involved in the design, analysis or interpretation of the data in this study. The study's aim and objectives were developed based on children's self‐esteem, which was limited by questionnaire data information, so the researchers completed demographic and disease‐related questionnaires by interviewing them