Epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis: a Brazilian perspective

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Duarte GV

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Gleison V Duarte,1 Larissa Porto-Silva,2 Maria de Fátima Paim de Oliveira1 1Dermatology Department, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, 2Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública, Salvador, BA, Brazil Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated systemic disease that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, is associated with comorbidities, and has a negative impact on the quality of life of affected individuals. The prevalence of psoriasis varies among different ethnic groups, but this topic has not been studied in Brazil to date. In this review, we evaluate the epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis from a Brazilian perspective. We focused on studies that involved Brazilian subjects. The prevalence of psoriasis in Brazil is estimated to be 2.5%, but no population study has been performed previously. Environmental factors, such as tropical climate, in association with genetic factors, such as miscegenation, may exert a beneficial impact on the course and frequency of psoriasis in Brazil. A number of studies have advanced our understanding of the cardiovascular, ophthalmic, and oral comorbidities that are associated with psoriasis. Concerns about biological therapy, such as endemic leprosy, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV, and tuberculosis infections, are discussed. The nonavailability of treatment options for psoriasis in the public health system contradicts the Brazilian Society of Dermatology guidelines, stimulating the judicialization of access to medicines in psoriasis care. Keywords: psoriasis, epidemiology, comorbidities, health services accessibility, health care disparities, insurance, health care costs

[Clinical-epidemiological study in children with cleft lip palate in a secondary-level hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Pons-Bonals, Alicia; Pons-Bonals, Leticia; Hidalgo-Martínez, Sandra Margarita; Sosa-Ferreyra, Carlos Francisco

One of the most common congenital disorders that affects the facial structures is the cleft lip palate (CLP). The aim of this study was to generate the clinical-epidemiological profile of CLP patients from Hospital de Especialidades del Niño y la Mujer (HENM) Dr. Felipe Nuñez Lara, from the Ministry of Health, Queretaro, Mexico, from 2011 to 2014, who received treatment from the Cleft Lip Palate Clinic in order to provide interdisciplinary treatments for CLP patients based on the information from the pediatric records. Retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study using univariate analysis frequencies for qualitative variables; central statistical and dispersion for quantitative variables and clinical profile. One hundred records were reviewed, from which 15 were discarded for being syndromic cases. Epidemiological, clinical, and socio-demographic variables were studied. The epidemiological profile (variables associated with mother's pregnancy, patient's health at birth, nutritional and psychomotor development; family medical records, addictions, and socioeconomic factors) and clinical profile (disease classification by sex, structure, and side; surgeries classification and order in which they took place) of the treated population were registered. The results showed the need to standardize the data registration on medical records to improve the monitoring and treatment of patients and emphasize actions to maintain low incidence of CLP in Queretaro. Copyright © 2017 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics in hospitalized young children with acute gastroenteritis in southern Taiwan: According to major pathogens

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Ning Chung

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE can be caused by a wide array of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. A prospective study to investigate the epidemiology and clinical presentation in young children hospitalized with AGE was conducted in a medical center in southern Taiwan. Methods: Patients aged less than 5 years who was hospitalized due to AGE in National Cheng Kung University Hospital were enrolled from July 2014 to June 2016. The demographic information, clinical features and laboratory data were collected by chart reviews, and stool samples were sent to Centers of Disease Control, Taiwan (Taiwan CDC for a panel of pathogen identification consisting of two viruses, nine bacteria, and five parasites. Results: Totally 441 patients were enrolled in this study. Salmonella spp. was the leading cause of disease (21.8%, followed by norovirus (17.0%, Clostridium difficile (9.5%, and rotavirus (9.3%. Norovirus identification rate was the highest among patients less than 6 months of age, while Salmonella was highest among patients between 2 and 3 years old. Patients with Salmonella infection frequently presented with fever, lethargy, bloody stool, and elevated serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP; norovirus and rotavirus infection frequently presented with vomiting. Salmonella gastroenteritis also resulted in longer hospitalization and more frequent antibiotics administration. C. difficile could be isolated from both gastroenteritis patients and control children. Conclusion: Salmonella spp. was the most common pathogen of AGE in hospitalized children in southern Taiwan during 2014–2016, followed by norovirus and rotavirus. Further monitoring of epidemiology characteristics among cardinal pathogens of pediatric gastroenteritis is necessary. Keywords: Acute gastroenteritis, Children, Epidemiology, Taiwan

Demographic epidemiology of unstable pelvic fracture in the United States from 2000 to 2009: trends and in-hospital mortality.

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Yoshihara, Hiroyuki; Yoneoka, Daisuke

2014-02-01

Unstable pelvic fracture is predominantly caused by high-energy blunt trauma and is associated with a high risk of mortality. The epidemiology in the United States is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of unstable pelvic fracture based on patient and hospital demographics in the United States during the last decade. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify patients who were hospitalized with unstable pelvic fracture from 2000 to 2009, using the International Classification of Diseases--9th Rev.--Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. The primary outcome parameter consisted of analyzing the temporal trends of in-hospital admissions for unstable pelvic fracture and the associated in-hospital mortality. The data were stratified by demographic variables, including age, sex, race, and hospital region in the United States. From 2000 to 2009, there were 24,059 patients in total; among these, 1,823 (7.6%) had open fractures, and 22,236 (92.4%) had closed fractures. The population growth-adjusted incidence was stable over time (p = 0.431). The incidence was the lowest in the northeastern region. The in-hospital mortality rate in patients with unstable pelvic fracture was 8.3% (21.3% for open fracture, 7.2% for closed fracture) and remained stable over time (p = 0.089). The in-hospital mortality rate was higher in several subgroups of patients, such as older patients, male patients, African-American patients, and patients in the northeastern region. During the last decade, the incidence of unstable pelvic fracture has remained stable over time in the United States. The in-hospital mortality rate in patients with unstable pelvic fracture was 8.3% and remained stable over time. The rate in patients with an open fracture was approximately three times higher than that in patients with a closed fracture. The incidence was the lowest, but the in-hospital mortality rate was the highest in the northeastern region compared with the

Investigation of mechanisms and molecular epidemiology of linezolid nonsusceptible Enterococcus faecalis isolated from a teaching hospital in China.

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Li, Bin; Ma, Chuan-Ling; Yu, Xiao; Sun, Yao; Li, Mei-Mei; Ye, Jian-Zhong; Zhang, Ya-Pei; Wu, Qing; Zhou, Tie-Li

2016-08-01

The epidemiological and molecular characteristics of eight linezolid nonsusceptible Enterococcus faecalis isolated from a teaching hospital in China (January to July 2014) were investigated. The target site modifications and cfr gene associated with linezolid resistance were not found. Results of the epidemiological investigation indicated that linezolid resistance possibly occurred on several independent occasions and was often not related to linezolid administration. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Results of the epidemiological surveillance of diabetes mellitus in hospitals in Peru, 2012].

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Ramos, Willy; López, Tania; Revilla, Luis; More, Luis; Huamaní, María; Pozo, Milagros

2014-01-01

To describe the findings of a year of epidemiological surveillance in pilot hospitals in Peru belonging to the diabetes surveillance (DS) system. Cross-sectional study involving diabetic patients in the DS system from 18 hospitals during 2012. The DS database was assessed and epidemiological and laboratory variables were obtained including age, sex, type of diabetes, complications, comorbidity, microalbuminuria, fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at two time points - at the time of enrollment and the last followup. 2,959 cases were found. At the time of enrollment into the DS system, 91.2% had a fasting blood glucose test of which 65.4% had a level 130 mg/dL. 8.9% had a microalbuminuria test of which 20.5% had microalbuminuria and 6.5% proteinuria. In total, 1025 patients had a follow-up visit; 93.1% had a fasting blood glucose test and 22.3% had HbA1c test. 63.5% had a fasting glycemia level 130 mg/dL and 73.4% HbA1c level 7.0%. The most common complication was neuropathy (21.4 %) and the most frequent comorbidity was high blood pressure (10.5%). Tuberculosis and cancer cases were observed; the most frequent cancer was breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women. The DS shows that among diabetics of the pilot hospitals, which have laboratory results, there is a high frequency of inadequate glycemic control and poor adherence to treatment. The high frequency of complications found highlights the need to strengthen early diagnosis.

A survey of rural hospitals' perspectives on health information technology outsourcing.

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Johnson, Nicholas; Murphy, Alison; McNeese, Nathan; Reddy, Madhu; Purao, Sandeep

2013-01-01

A survey of rural hospitals was conducted in the spring of 2012 to better understand their perspectives on health information technology (HIT) outsourcing and the role that hospital-to-hospital HIT partnerships (HHPs) can play as an outsourcing mechanism. The survey sought to understand how HHPs might be leveraged for HIT implementation, as well as the challenges with forming them. The results suggest that HHPs have the potential to address rural hospitals' slow rate of HIT adoption, but there are also challenges to creating these partnerships. These issues, as well as avenues for further research, are then discussed.

Epidemiology, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility and outcome of candidemia among Internal Medicine Wards of community hospitals of Udine province, Italy

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Federico Silvestri

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Candidemia is an emerging problem among patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine Wards (IMW. We performed a retrospective study to assess the epidemiology, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility and outcome of candidaemia recorded over a 3-year period (2010-2012 among IMW of community hospitals of Udine province in Italy: forty-eight patients were identified, with an overall incidence of 1.44 cases/1000 hospital admissions/year. Candida albicans was the most frequent species, followed by Candida parapsilosis that accounted for 42.9% of Tolmezzo cases. All isolates were susceptible to amphotericin and caspofungin, while 11.4% of strains were not-susceptible to voriconazole and 14.3% to fluconazole. Crude mortality was 41.7%. In conclusion, in community hospitals overall incidence of candidemia is similar to tertiary care hospitals, but 80% of cases are detected in IMW. Candida species distribution is overlapping, but differences in local epidemiology were found and should be taken into consideration. No resistance to amphotericin and caspofungin was found while resistance to azoles was observed. Knowledge of this data might be useful when planning the best therapeutic strategy.

Acinetobacter baumannii: Epidemiological and Beta-Lactamase Data From Two Tertiary Academic Hospitals in Tshwane, South Africa

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Michelle Lowe

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that is increasingly responsible for hospital-acquired infections. The increasing prevalence of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii has left clinicians with limited treatment options. Last line antimicrobials (i.e., polymyxins and glycylcyclines are often used as treatment options. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of selected β-lactamase genes from A. baumannii isolates obtained from patients with hospital-acquired infections and to determine the genetic relationship and epidemiological profiles among clinical A. baumannii isolates collected from two tertiary academic hospitals in the Tshwane region, South Africa (SA. Multiplex-PCR (M-PCR assays were performed to detect selected resistance genes. The collected isolates’ genetic relatedness was determined by using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST. The acquired oxacillinase (OXA genes, notably blaOXA-23-like were prevalent in the A. baumannii isolates. The M-PCR assays showed that the isolates collected from hospital A contained the OXA-23-like (96%; n = 69/72 genes and the isolates collected from hospital B contained the OXA-23-like (91%; n = 63/69 and OXA-58-like (4%; n = 3/69 genes. Colistin resistance was found in 1% of the isolates (n = 2/141 and tigecycline intermediate resistance was found in 6% of the isolates (n = 8/141. The A. baumannii isolates were genetically diverse. Molecular epidemiological data showed that specific sequence types (STs (ST106, ST229, ST258 and ST208 were established in both hospitals, while ST848 was established in hospital A and ST502, ST339 and the novel ST1552 were established in hospital B. ST848 (established in hospital A was predominately detected in ICU wards whereas ST208, ST339 and the novel ST1552 (established in hospital B were detected in ICUs and the general wards. The origin of the A. baumannii isolates in the hospitals may be due to

rRNA Operon Copy Number Can Explain the Distinct Epidemiology of Hospital-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fluit, A.C.; Jansen, M.D.; Bosch, T.; Jansen, W.T.M.; Schouls, L.; Jonker, M.J.; Boel, C.H.E.

2016-01-01

The distinct epidemiology of original hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) and early community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) is largely unexplained. S. aureus carries either five or six rRNA operon copies. Evidence is provided for a scenario in which MRSA has adapted

Dying in the Hospital: Perspectives of family members.

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Dose, Ann Marie; Carey, Elise C; Rhudy, Lori M; Chiu, Yichen; Frimannsdottir, Katrin; Ottenberg, Abigale L; Koenig, Barbara A

2015-01-01

Although most patients express a preference to die at home, many (over 30 percent) still die in hospital. This study's purpose was to explore the experience of hospital death from the perspective of patients' family members. interviews were conducted with family members of patients who had died at hospitals affiliated with a large tertiary referral centre in the United States. Content analysis was used to analyze findings. We interviewed 30 family members by phone. Themes were arranged by time frame: before death, time of death, and after death. Families do not interpret clinical cues leading up to death in the same way healthcare providers do; families need clear and direct explanations from providers. Clinicians should assess patient and family understandings of prognosis and communicate clearly and directly. Family members value being with their loved one at the time of death, and they value spending time with the body after death; this should be facilitated in clinical practice.

The epidemiology of hospitalized influenza in children, a two year population-based study in the People's Republic of China

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2010-01-01

Background The epidemiology and disease burden of annual influenza in children in mainland People's Republic of China have not been reported in detail. To understand the incidence and epidemiology of laboratory-proven influenza hospitalization in children in China, a review of available laboratory and hospital admission data was undertaken. Methods We conducted a retrospective population-based study in Suzhou and the surrounding area of Jiangsu province, China for hospitalized cases of respiratory illness at Suzhou Children's Hospital. Cases of pneumonia or respiratory illness were identified from hospital computer data bases. Routine virological testing by fluorescent monoclonal antibody assay of all hospitalized children identified influenza and other viruses. We calculated incidence rates using census population denominators. Results Of 7,789 specimens obtained during 2007 and 2008, 85 were positive for influenza A and 25 for influenza B. There were 282 specimens with parainfluenza virus and 1392 with RSV. Influenza occurred throughout the year, with peaks in the winter, and in August/September. Overall estimated annual incidence of laboratory-proven influenza hospitalization was 23-27/100,000 children 0-4 years old, and 60/100,000 in infants 0-6 months, with an average hospitalization of 9 days. Conclusions Influenza disease in young children in this part of China is a relatively common cause of hospitalization, and occurs throughout the year. The use of influenza vaccine in Chinese children has the potential to reduce the effect of influenza in the children, as well as in their communities. Studies are needed to further assess the burden of influenza, and to develop and refine effective strategies of immunization of young children in China. PMID:20353557

Candidaemia in an Irish tertiary referral hospital: epidemiology and prognostic factors.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Boo, T W

2012-02-03

There were two parts to this study. Part 1 evaluated the epidemiology of Candida bloodstream isolates within the Southern Health Board (SHB) of Ireland from 1992 to 2003 by retrospective surveillance of all such isolates of patients reported from SHB hospitals to our laboratory database during that period. Part 2 reviewed candidaemia cases occurring in Cork University Hospital (CUH) from 1999 to 2003 using surveillance of all positive blood culture isolates in CUH microbiology laboratory during the 5-year period. In part 1, 250 Candida bloodstream isolates were reported in the SHB over 12 years. There was a pattern of decreasing percentage of C. albicans with time. Whereas in part 2, 63 cases of candidaemia were identified in CUH from 1999 to 2003. Candida albicans constituted 50% of all isolates, while C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata accounted for 21.2% and 18.2% respectively. Average annual incidence rate was 0.48 episodes\\/1000 admissions and 0.70 episodes\\/10 000 patient-days. Vascular catheters were the commonest source of candidaemia (61.9%) followed by the urinary tract (12.7%). Risk factors included exposure to multiple antibiotics (75%); central vascular catheterization (73%); multiple colonization sites (71%); severe gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction (54%) and acute renal failure (43%). Crude 7-day and 30-day mortality rates were 20.6% and 39.7% respectively. Logistic regression multivariate analysis identified the following to be independent predictors for mortality: age > or =65 years [odds ratio (OR) 7.2, P = 0.013]; severe GI dysfunction (OR 10.6, P = 0.01); acute renal failure (OR 7.6, P = 0.022); recent\\/concurrent bacteraemia (OR 5.2, P = 0.042); endotracheal intubation (OR 7.7, P = 0.014); while major surgery was associated with a better prognosis (OR 0.05, P = 0.002). Appropriate antifungal treatment was also found to be associated with survival (Fisher\\'s exact test, P < 0.001). The epidemiology of Candida bloodstream isolates within our

Assessing the Social Responsibility of Tabriz University Educational Hospitals from Managers’ Perspective, 2012

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Massumeh gholizadeh

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Social responsibility is one of the most important parts of an organization’s existence. The aim of this study was assessing the social responsibility of Tabriz University educational hospitals from managers’ perspective. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2012. 40 managers of educational hospitals have been selected through census sampling method. Data were collected through Ministry of Health and Medical education (MOHME valid and reliable questionnaire and analyzed by spss software package and descriptive statistics. Results : From the managers’ perspective, patients are the most effective group on hospital activities (48.5 percent, international standards are the most important motivation for hospitals (27.5 percent, the implementation of the organization’s legal obligations is the most important definition of social responsibility (27.5 percent. To be ensured a fair and ethical behavior, hospitals have benefited greatly from the workplace and employees (30 percent. Managers (90 percent emphasized that corporate social responsibility activities have a positive effect on hospital financial performance. Conclusion: The findings indicated that managers have no unique definition of social responsibility and it is difficult for them to understand the concept of social responsibility and there is no special policy or process in hospitals to understand this concept. They have introduced social responsibility as compliance with obligations of the organization. ​

Comparative epidemiology of human metapneumovirus- and respiratory syncytial virus-associated hospitalizations in Guatemala

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McCracken, John P; Arvelo, Wences; Ortíz, José; Reyes, Lissette; Gray, Jennifer; Estevez, Alejandra; Castañeda, Oscar; Langley, Gayle; Lindblade, Kim A

2014-01-01

Background Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important cause of acute respiratory infections (ARI), but little is known about how it compares with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Central America. Objectives In this study, we describe hospitalized cases of HMPV- and RSV-ARI in Guatemala. Methods We conducted surveillance at three hospitals (November 2007–December 2012) and tested nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens for HMPV and RSV using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. We calculated incidence rates, and compared the epidemiology and outcomes of HMPV-positive versus RSV-positive and RSV-HMPV-negative cases. Results We enrolled and tested specimens from 6288 ARI cases; 596 (9%) were HMPV-positive and 1485 (24%) were RSV-positive. We observed a seasonal pattern of RSV but not HMPV. The proportion HMPV-positive was low (3%) and RSV-positive high (41%) for age Guatemala, but HMPV hospitalizations are less frequent than RSV and, in young children, less severe than other etiologies. Preventive interventions should take into account the wide variation in incidence by age and unpredictable timing of incidence peaks. PMID:24761765

Trends in epidemiology and hospitalization utilization for myelomeningocele repair from 2000 to 2009.

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Harris, Dominic A; Cherian, Jacob; LoPresti, Melissa; Jea, Andrew; Lam, Sandi

2016-07-01

Although the incidence of myelomeningocele (MMC) has declined over the past decades with folic acid supplementation and prenatal screening, neural tube defects remain the most common birth defect in the USA. A majority of affected neonates require surgical repair. To characterize US trends in the epidemiology and hospital utilization of MMC repair over the past decade, we analyzed a nationally representative database. We queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kid's Inpatient Database (KID) for all discharges with procedure code for MMC repair for the years 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. The cohorts from these time points were compared for their demographic and in-hospital variables. Results are reported as estimated frequencies and means with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Sex, race, insurance status, family income level, and mortality of affected infants have not changed significantly over the decade. A majority of neonatal MMC repairs occur in larger hospital bed size and more specialized children's hospital centers. Of patients, 52.3 to 60 % receive VPS placement during the same admission as the primary MMC repair. Total hospital costs for the MMC hospitalizations have remained relatively stable from 42,843 dollars in 2003 to 46,749 dollars in 2009 (adjusted to 2009 dollars). Demographics of children having MMC repair have not changed significantly over the past decade, while these surgeries have become more concentrated in pediatric-specialized centers. There appears to be a plateau in public health and access advances with relatively stable cost of MMC hospital care.

The epidemiology of assault-related hospital in-patient admissions and ED attendances.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Farrell, A

2013-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and impact of serious assault warranting in-patient care over six years and its impact on ED attendances in a large teaching hospital in Dublin over 2 years. There were 16,079 emergency assault-related inpatient hospital discharges reducing from 60.1 per 100,000 population in 2005 to 50.6 per 100,000 population in 2010. The median length of stay was 1 day (1-466) representing 49,870 bed days. The majority were young males (13,921, 86.6%; median age 26 years). Overall crime figures showed a similar reduction. However, knife crimes did not reduce over this period. Data on ED attendances confirmed the age and gender profile and also showed an increase at weekends. Alcohol misuse was recorded in 2,292\\/16079 (14%) of in-patient cases and 242\\/2484 (10%) in ED attendances. An inter-sectoral preventative approach specifically targeting knife crime is required to reduce this burden on health services.

Clinical and epidemiological features of coryneform skin infections at a tertiary hospital

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Malcolm Pinto

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Skin infections caused by coryneform bacteria are common dermatological conditions. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies are available on the clinical characteristics and epidemiological features of this group of disorders as one entity from India and abroad. Aims: To study the clinical and epidemiological features of coryneform skin infections Methods: A total of 75 patients presenting with clinically distinctive lesions of pitted keratolysis, erythrasma and trichobacteriosis to our hospital were included in the study. Cases were interviewed with particular emphasis on epidemiological features and the various clinical findings were recorded. Investigations like Gram's stain, Wood's light examination, 10% KOH scrapings, were done in selected cases to ascertain the diagnosis. Results: Pitted keratolysis was more common in the age group of 31-40 years (40% with a male preponderance (76.7%, most commonly affecting pressure bearing areas of the soles with malodour (86.7% and frequent contact with water (58.3% constituting the most important presenting symptom and provocating factor respectively. Erythrasma affected both male and female patients equally and was more commonly detected in patients with a BMI > 23kg/m2 (62.5% and in diabetics (50%. All patients with trichobacteriosis presented with yellow coloured concretions in the axillae. Bromhidrosis (71.4% and failure to regularly use an axillary deodorant (71.4% were the most common presenting symptom and predisposing factor respectively. Conclusion: Coryneform skin infections are common dermatological conditions, though epidemiological data are fragmentary. Hyperhidrosis is a common predisposing factor to all three coryneform skin infections. Asymmetrical distribution of pits has been reported in our study. Diabetic status needs to be evaluated in all patients with erythrasma. Woods lamp examination forms an indispensible tool to diagnose erythrasma and trichobacteriosis.

Service quality of private hospitals: the Iranian patients' perspective.

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Zarei, Asghar; Arab, Mohammad; Froushani, Abbas Rahimi; Rashidian, Arash; Ghazi Tabatabaei, S Mahmoud

2012-02-02

Highly competitive market in the private hospital industry has caused increasing pressure on them to provide services with higher quality. The aim of this study was to determine the different dimensions of the service quality in the private hospitals of Iran and evaluating the service quality from the patients' perspective. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and November 2010 in Tehran, Iran. The study sample was composed of 983 patients randomly selected from 8 private general hospitals. The study questionnaire was the SERVQUAL questionnaire, consisting of 21 items in service quality dimensions. The result of factor analysis revealed 3 factors, explaining 69% of the total variance. The total mean score of patients' expectation and perception was 4.91(SD = 0.2) and 4.02(SD = 0.6), respectively. The highest expectation and perception related to the tangibles dimension and the lowest expectation and perception related to the empathy dimension. The differences between perception and expectation were significant (p SERVQUAL is a valid, reliable, and flexible instrument to monitor and measure the quality of the services in private hospitals of Iran. Our findings clarified the importance of creating a strong relationship between patients and the hospital practitioners/personnel and the need for hospital staff to be responsive, credible, and empathetic when dealing with patients.

Philanthropic Donor Perspectives on Supporting Nursing Excellence in a Community Hospital.

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Fickley, Sharon K; Mishler, Ray R; Black, Amelia S; DeGuzman, Pam B

2016-11-01

The purpose of this research is to explore donors' perspectives on support of nursing excellence in a community hospital. Philanthropic support is rapidly becoming critical to support nursing excellence in hospitals, including continuing education, nursing research, and professional development. However, no research has examined the experience of private donors who support nursing programs in community hospitals. Structured interviews were conducted with individuals with a history of providing significant financial support (gifts >$50 000) targeted specifically for nursing in a 176- bed community hospital in the southeastern United States. Analysis was performed using descriptive content analysis. Four themes emerged that centered around making a difference, helping nurses meet new challenges, an existing foundation of service, and valuing excellent nursing care received. This research provides specific information that nursing administrators can use when seeking philanthropic gifts to support nursing excellence programs in US community hospitals.

Cybersecurity in Hospitals: A Systematic, Organizational Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalali, Mohammad S; Kaiser, Jessica P

2018-05-28

Cybersecurity incidents are a growing threat to the health care industry in general and hospitals in particular. The health care industry has lagged behind other industries in protecting its main stakeholder (ie, patients), and now hospitals must invest considerable capital and effort in protecting their systems. However, this is easier said than done because hospitals are extraordinarily technology-saturated, complex organizations with high end point complexity, internal politics, and regulatory pressures. The purpose of this study was to develop a systematic and organizational perspective for studying (1) the dynamics of cybersecurity capability development at hospitals and (2) how these internal organizational dynamics interact to form a system of hospital cybersecurity in the United States. We conducted interviews with hospital chief information officers, chief information security officers, and health care cybersecurity experts; analyzed the interview data; and developed a system dynamics model that unravels the mechanisms by which hospitals build cybersecurity capabilities. We then use simulation analysis to examine how changes to variables within the model affect the likelihood of cyberattacks across both individual hospitals and a system of hospitals. We discuss several key mechanisms that hospitals use to reduce the likelihood of cybercriminal activity. The variable that most influences the risk of cyberattack in a hospital is end point complexity, followed by internal stakeholder alignment. Although resource availability is important in fueling efforts to close cybersecurity capability gaps, low levels of resources could be compensated for by setting a high target level of cybersecurity. To enhance cybersecurity capabilities at hospitals, the main focus of chief information officers and chief information security officers should be on reducing end point complexity and improving internal stakeholder alignment. These strategies can solve cybersecurity

Epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis: a Brazilian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Gleison V; Porto-Silva, Larissa; de Oliveira, Maria de Fátima Paim

2015-01-01

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated systemic disease that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, is associated with comorbidities, and has a negative impact on the quality of life of affected individuals. The prevalence of psoriasis varies among different ethnic groups, but this topic has not been studied in Brazil to date. In this review, we evaluate the epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis from a Brazilian perspective. We focused on studies that involved Brazilian subjects. The prevalence of psoriasis in Brazil is estimated to be 2.5%, but no population study has been performed previously. Environmental factors, such as tropical climate, in association with genetic factors, such as miscegenation, may exert a beneficial impact on the course and frequency of psoriasis in Brazil. A number of studies have advanced our understanding of the cardiovascular, ophthalmic, and oral comorbidities that are associated with psoriasis. Concerns about biological therapy, such as endemic leprosy, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), and tuberculosis infections, are discussed. The nonavailability of treatment options for psoriasis in the public health system contradicts the Brazilian Society of Dermatology guidelines, stimulating the judicialization of access to medicines in psoriasis care.

[Support to spiritual needs in hospital care. Integration perspective in modern hospitals].

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Proserpio, Tullio; Piccinelli, Claudia; Arice, Carmine; Petrini, Massimo; Mozzanica, Mario; Veneroni, Laura; Clerici, Carlo Alfredo

2014-01-01

Within the course of medical care in the most advanced health care settings, an increasing attention is being paid to the so-called care humanization. According to this perspective, we try to integrate the usual care pathways with aspects related to the spiritual and religious dimension of all people and their families, as well as the employees themselves. It is clearly important to establish this kind of practices on the basis of scientific evidences. That is the reason why it's a necessity to improve the knowledge about the importance that spiritual assistance can offer within the current health service. The aim of this work is to show the relevance of the integration of spiritual perspectives in the hospital setting according to a multidisciplinary point of view. In this work many data that emerge from the international scientific literature, as well as the definition that is given to the concept of "spirituality" are analyzed; about this definition in fact there is not unanimous consent even today. It is also analyzed the legal situation in force within the European territory according to the different laws and social realities. Finally, the possible organizational practices related to spiritual support are described and the opportunity to specific accreditation pathways and careful training of chaplains able to integrate traditional religious practices with modern spiritual perspectives is discussed.

Coevolution of patients and hospitals: how changing epidemiology and technological advances create challenges and drive organizational innovation.

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Lega, Federico; Calciolari, Stefano

2012-01-01

Over the last 20 years, hospitals have revised their organizational structures in response to new environmental pressures. Today, demographic and epidemiologic trends and recent technological advances call for new strategies to cope with ultra-elderly frail patients characterized by chronic conditions, high-severity health problems, and complex social situations. The main areas of change surround new ways of managing emerging clusters of patients whose needs are not efficiently or effectively met within traditional hospital organizations. Following the practitioner and academic literature, we first identify the most relevant clusters of new kinds of patients who represent an increasingly larger share of the hospital population in developed countries. Second, we propose a framework that synthesizes the major organizational innovations adopted by successful organizations around the world. We conclude by substantiating the trends of and the reasoning behind the prospective pattern of hospital organizational development.

Leadership and priority setting: the perspective of hospital CEOs.

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Reeleder, David; Goel, Vivek; Singer, Peter A; Martin, Douglas K

2006-11-01

The role of leadership in health care priority setting remains largely unexplored. While the management leadership literature has grown rapidly, the growing literature on priority setting in health care has looked in other directions to improve priority setting practices--to health economics and ethical approaches. Consequently, potential for improvement in hospital priority setting practices may be overlooked. A qualitative study involving interviews with 46 Ontario hospital CEOs was done to describe the role of leadership in priority setting through the perspective of hospital leaders. For the first time, we report a framework of leadership domains including vision, alignment, relationships, values and process to facilitate priority setting practices in health services' organizations. We believe this fledgling framework forms the basis for the sharing of good leadership practices for health reform. It also provides a leadership guide for decision makers to improve the quality of their leadership, and in so doing, we believe, the fairness of their priority setting.

Epidemiology of tramadol overdose in Imam Khomeini hospital, Kermanshah, Iran (2008

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Habib Ahmadi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Tramadol is an analgesic drug used for treatment of moderate to severe pain. According to side effects of Tramadol overdose, this study aimed to evaluate epidemiological characteristics of patients who admitted with Tramadol overdose in Imam Khomeini hospital - Kermanshah from March 2008 to March 2009.Methods: In this descriptive- analytical study, all profiles of poisoned subjects with Tramadol who have been referred to the hospital were reviewed. Considerable variables were extracted and data were analyzed using chi-square and Independent t test. Results: The result showed that majority of overdosed subjects was married (80.8% and aged 19 years old (11.2%. Suicide (98.7% was the most common cause of using Tramadol. 40% of cases showed a seizure symptom and seizure incidence in male subjects was higher than female (P<0.001. There was a significant correlation between Tramadol dosages and outbreak of a seizure symptoms. Conclusion: Abuse of Tramadol may leads to seizure and death, which threat young generation less than 30 years old committed to suicide. Increasing knowledge and restriction of Tramadol availability and distribution in community is necessary to prevent young generation from suicide commitment.

Epidemiological study of road traffic accident cases in Greater Noida: Hospital Based Study

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Rupali Roy

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Road accidents are associated with numerous problems each of which needs to be addressed separately [1]. Accidents, therefore, can be studied in terms of agent, host and environmental factors and epidemiologically classified into time, place and person distribution [2]. Objectives: 1.To assess the prevalence of RTAs coming to hospital and 2.To know the epidemiological factors related to RTAs and associated prevalence in hospital based study. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at SMSR, Gr Noida, in 2012. The study group consisted of all the RTA victims reporting to casualty in the last one year. The victims of the accidents were interviewed on a pretested semi structured performa. Results: In that one year period total number of reported accident cases was 144. The age groups of the study subjects were between 13-65 years. Out of total study subjects, only 16 were female. Again out of the total accident cases 45% were attended by police and of all injured, 45.8% were driver by occupation (7% without driving license. Among these drivers, 11% were not attentive during driving because of various reasons. Ambulance services had reached in 46.5% cases. Fracture was the most common type (60% of injury among all types of injuries. Among the applicable population only 33% wore helmet or seat belts. Conclusions: Only half of the total accident cases were attended by police and again only half of them received ambulance services. One third injuries were because of not wearing seat belt and helmets.

Epidemiological study of road traffic accident cases in Greater Noida: Hospital Based Study

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Rupali Roy

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Road accidents are associated with numerous problems each of which needs to be addressed separately [1]. Accidents, therefore, can be studied in terms of agent, host and environmental factors and epidemiologically classified into time, place and person distribution [2]. Objectives: 1.To assess the prevalence of RTAs coming to hospital and 2.To know the epidemiological factors related to RTAs and associated prevalence in hospital based study. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at SMSR, Gr Noida, in 2012. The study group consisted of all the RTA victims reporting to casualty in the last one year. The victims of the accidents were interviewed on a pretested semi structured performa. Results: In that one year period total number of reported accident cases was 144. The age groups of the study subjects were between 13-65 years. Out of total study subjects, only 16 were female. Again out of the total accident cases 45% were attended by police and of all injured, 45.8% were driver by occupation (7% without driving license. Among these drivers, 11% were not attentive during driving because of various reasons. Ambulance services had reached in 46.5% cases. Fracture was the most common type (60% of injury among all types of injuries. Among the applicable population only 33% wore helmet or seat belts. Conclusions: Only half of the total accident cases were attended by police and again only half of them received ambulance services. One third injuries were because of not wearing seat belt and helmets.

Epidemiology of malpractice claims in the orthopedic and trauma surgery department of a French teaching hospital: A 10-year retrospective study.

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Agout, C; Rosset, P; Druon, J; Brilhault, J; Favard, L

2018-02-01

Orthopedic and trauma surgery is the specialty for which claims for compensation are most often filed. Little data exists on the subject in France, especially in a teaching hospital. We conducted a retrospective study aimed at (1) identifying the epidemiological characteristics of patients filing claims against the orthopedic surgery and traumatology department of a teaching hospital in France, (2) analyzing the surgical procedures involved, the type of legal proceedings, and the financial consequences. The epidemiological profile of proceedings seeking damages in France is consistent with the data from European and American studies. An observational, retrospective, single-center study of all claims for damages between 2007 and 2016 involving the orthopedic and trauma surgery department of a teaching hospital was carried out. Patients' epidemiological data, the surgical procedure, type of legal proceeding, and financial consequences were analyzed. Of the 51,582 surgical procedures performed, 71 claims (0.0014%) were analyzed (i.e., 1/726 procedures). A significant increase in the number of cases (p=0.040) was found over a 10-year period. Of these, 36/71 (53.7%) were submitted to the French regional conciliation and compensation commission (CRCI), 23/71 (32.8%) were filed with the administrative court, and 12/71 (13.4%) were submitted for an amicable settlement. The most common reason for which patients filed claims was hospital-acquired infections, with 36/71 (50.7%) cases. Twenty-nine complaints (40.8%) resulted in monetary damages being awarded to the patient, with an average award of € 28,301 (€ 2,400-299,508). Damage awards were significantly higher (pClaims against orthopedic surgeons have been increasing significantly over the last 10 years. Although rare, they represent a significant cost to society. Hospital-acquired infections are the main reason for disputes in our specialization. IV, retrospective study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All

Clinical and epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with neurocysticercosis at two hospitals in Chiclayo, Peru

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Giuseppe Rojas-Panta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with neurocysticercosis at two hospitals in Chiclayo, Peru. Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study was performed at the Almanzor Aguinaga Asenjo Hospital and Lambayeque Regional Hospital. Ninety-six (96 medical records of patients attended in 2014 with a diagnosis of neurocysticercosis were reviewed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 42.8 ± 18.8 years old, 52.1% were female, 26% came from Chiclayo and 54.2% received care for the first time. The most common symptom leading to medical consultation was headache. All patients underwent a diagnostic imaging method. The location of the parasite was mostly in the brain and the calcified stage was the most common one. The most widely used treatments were anticonvulsants and pain relievers. Conclusions: Neurocysticercosis mainly affects the economically active population, is more common in women and the most common clinical manifestation is headache

Epidemiology of Surgically Managed Mandibular Condylar Fractures at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Urban Southwest China.

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Thapa, Swosti; Wang, Jun; Hu, Hong-Tao; Zhang, Fu-Gui; Ji, Ping

2017-01-01

Mandibular condylar fracture is one of the commonest maxillofacial fractures treated by maxillofacial surgeons. Demography of the patients, causation, and characteristics of the fracture depends on various socio-economic factors. Hence, maxillofacial surgeons should be familiar with epidemiology of mandibular condylar fracture. This study retrospectively describes the demography, etiology, fracture characteristics, and hospital utilization of surgically treated mandibular condylar fractures in a tertiary referral hospital in urban China in past five years. Data of all patients who underwent surgical management between 2011 and 2015 were collected. This included aetiology, characteristics of fracture, time, age, sex, associated injuries, and hospital utilization of 166 patients with 208 mandibular condylar fractures. These patients had undergone open reduction and internal fixation with either miniplates or lag screws. Among the fracture of head of mandibular condyle, 21.28% of the patients had the fracture segments removed. These data were statistically analyzed to describe the epidemiology of mandibular condylar fracture. Most of the patients had unilateral mandibular condylar fractures (74.7%). Male patients (76.51%) outnumbered female patients (23.49%) in this cohort. The average age of the patients was 37 years. The fractures were mostly caused by fall from height (60.84%) and were located at the condylar neck (53.61%). Most of the patients had other associated maxillofacial injuries (71.08%) which were mostly located at symphysis and parasymphysis (44.59%). It took 12.58 +/- 0.35 days of hospitalization for the treatment. Fall from height was the most prevalent cause of mandibular condylar injury in mountainous urban China. The people at highest risk were middle-aged men. Mandibular condylar fracture was mostly located at the condylar neck and was usually associated with fracture at the symphysis and parasymphysis.

PERSPECTIVES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WELLNESS SERVICES IN HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES: THE CASE OF HOTELS OF VLADIVOSTOK

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Natalya Petrovna Ovcharenko

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Wellness tourism is a growing segment in the world tourism market and tourism is not possible without hospitality properties. The popularity of the hotel, its attendance and profit can be significantly increased in case of implementation of wellness services in the hotel. In the article the authors examine perspectives of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties. The study is held through the example of hotels of Vladivostok. The authors note the diversity of wellness services and their growing popularity among consumers of tourism services and, therefore, the expediency of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties. Purpose: the study of perspectives of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties, aimed to evaluate the relevance of such services at the market of hospitality properties of Vladivostok and to find out the different forms of delivering of wellness services. Methodology: comparison method, questionnaire approach, statistical method, literature analysis of the investigated problem. Results: the conclusions on wellness services market in hospitality properties of Vladivostok were made. The preferences of citizens of Primorsky Krai concerning different types of wellness services were discovered. Recommendations on promotion of wellness services in hospitality properties were proposed. Practical implications: the results of the study may be useful for workers of hospitality industry, travel agencies and tour operators, business representatives in the wellness sphere and everybody who are interested in wellness conception.

The Ten Years Survey on Clinical and Epidemiologic Features of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Sina Hospital, Hamadan, Iran

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Sh. Mazaheri

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Since the elimination of poliomyelitis from Iran, Guillain–Barre Syndrome (GBS has been the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis. There are a few studies concerning clinical and epidemiologic features of Guillain-Barré syndrome in our country, therefore we evaluated ten years clinical and epidemiologic features of GBS in Sina hospital, Hamadan, Iran.Materials & Methods: In a retrospective descriptive study, we reviewed 80 records of patients with GBS who were hospitalized in Sina Hospital (Hamadan, Iran during 1993-2003. Because of incomplete data we excluded 29 patients from the study. We evaluated clinical and epidemiologic features, risk factors, lab data and management protocols. Complete remission defined as complete improved patient four weeks after the GBS treatment and partial remission as the continuation of the symptom after that time. All the data extracted manually and analyzed with SPSS software.Results: From 51 patients, 36 (70.59% were men and 15 (29.41% women, with a proportion of 2.4 men to 1 woman. The age ranged from 3 to 85 years. The highest frequency was observed in patients aged 11 to 20 (35.28%. 13 patients were student, 11 were house keeper, 11 were farmer, 7 were worker. 29 patients (56.84% had risk factors like respiratory and gastrointestinal track infection, surgery and fever before the disease onset. Complete and partial remission occurred in 17 and 28 patients respectively and 5 patients did not improve. Management failure occurred in 3 (8.83%, 2 (22.23% and 5 (62.5% patients who underwent IVIG, plasmapheresis and corticosteroids respectively.Conclusion: Our data was not similar to other studies in term of male to female proportion, age distribution and management protocols, therefore geographical pattern of the disease should be concerned for better patients’ management.

Fertility and pregnancy: an epidemiologic perspective

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wilcox, Allen J

2010-01-01

.... Weaving together history, biology, obstetrics, pediatrics, demography, infectious diseases, molecular genetics, and evolutionary biology, Allen Wilcox brings a fresh coherence to the epidemiologic...

The descriptive epidemiology of sports/leisure-related heat illness hospitalisations in New South Wales, Australia.

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Finch, Caroline F; Boufous, Soufiane

2008-01-01

Sport-related heat illness has not been commonly studied from an epidemiological perspective. This study presents the descriptive epidemiology of sports/leisure-related heat illness hospitalisations in New South Wales, Australia. All in-patient separations from all acute hospitals in NSW during 2001-2004, with an International Classification of Diseases external cause of injury code indicating "exposure to excessive natural heat (X30)" or any ICD-10 diagnosis code in the range: "effects of heat and light (T67.0-T67.9)", were analysed. The sport/leisure relatedness of cases was defined by ICD-10-AM activity codes indicating involvement in sport/leisure activities. Cases of exposure to heat while engaged in sport/leisure were described by gender, year, age, principal diagnosis, type of activity/sport and length of stay. There were 109 hospital separations for exposure to heat while engaging in sport/leisure activity, with the majority occurring during the hottest months. The number of male cases significantly increased over the 4-year period and 45+ -year olds had the largest number of cases. Heat exhaustion was the leading cause of hospital separation (40% of cases). Marathon running, cricket and golf were the activities most commonly associated with heat-related hospitalisation. Ongoing development and refinement of expert position statements regarding heat illnesses need to draw on both epidemiological and physiological evidence to ensure their relevance to all levels of risk from the real world sport training and competition contexts.

Epidemiological profile of Road Traffic Accidents reporting at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

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S D Kandpal

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Accidents occur not only due to ignorance but also due to carelessness, thoughtlessness and over confidence. Human, vehicle and environmental factors play roles before, during and after a trauma event. Accidents, therefore, can best studied in terms of agent, host and environmental factors and epidemiologically classified into time, place and person distribution. Objective:  To know the epidemiology of Road Traffic Injuries as seen in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Himalayan Hospital.  Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done among patients of RTA admitted at a Tertiary Care Centre. A pretested semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect necessary information regarding the time, place and the person involved in the accident. Descriptive statistics for continuous variables and frequency, percentage for categorical variables were determined. Results: There was a marked male preponderance (83.24% with maximum involvement of younger age groups. Most of the accidents had taken place in the evening hours (6 pm -12 midnight. Accidents were equally distributed throughout the year. Conclusion: Majority of the patients of RTI belonged to 21 to 30 years age group. Males out-numbered females victims.

Epidemiological profile of pediatric ocular trauma in a tertiary hospital of northern India

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Shazia Qayum

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Ocular trauma is one of the most common causes of acquired blindness in children. It measures about 8%-14% of total childhood injuries. This study aims to determine the epidemiological profile of ocular trauma in the pediatric age group attending a tertiary hospital in northern India. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in our hospital between June 2014 to July 2015 and all the children aged 0-16 years presenting with ocular trauma in eye outpatient department and emergency were enrolled in the study. Various epidemiological parameters like age, sex distribution, duration of presentation, mode of injury, type of injury and final visual outcome were analyzed. Results: Of total 357 patients, 271 (76% were below the age of 12 years; 41.1% of children with ocular trauma belonged to age group 2-6 years. The male to female ratio was 2.9:1. Out of total patients, 242 (67.8% presented with closed globe injury. Among the closed globe injury, the history of fall was present in about 35% of children, followed by trauma while playing with bat/ball (15.7% and finger nail trauma (13.2%. Among open globe injury, trauma with needle, knife, glass and pen were common causes. Home was the most common place of injury (47.8%, followed by streets (17.9% and playground (14.9%. Conclusion: Children are vulnerable to ocular trauma and need more supervision. Sharp objects like needles, knives, household chemicals like acids should be out of reach of children. Keywords: Ocular trauma, Open globe injuries, Closed globe injuries, Birmingham eye trauma terminology system, Adnexal injuries, Pediatric ocular trauma

Importation, Mitigation, and Genomic Epidemiology of Candida auris at a Large Teaching Hospital.

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Lesho, Emil P; Bronstein, Melissa Z; McGann, Patrick; Stam, Jason; Kwak, Yoon; Maybank, Rosslyn; McNamara, Jodi; Callahan, Megan; Campbell, Jean; Hinkle, Mary K; Walsh, Edward E

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE Candida auris (CA) is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen associated with increased mortality. The environment may play a role, but transmission dynamics remain poorly understood. We sought to limit environmental and patient CA contamination following a sustained unsuspected exposure. DESIGN Quasi-experimental observation. SETTING A 528-bed teaching hospital. PATIENTS The index case patient and 17 collocated ward mates. INTERVENTION Immediately after confirmation of CA in the bloodstream and urine of a patient admitted 6 days previously, active surveillance, enhanced transmission-based precautions, environmental cleaning with peracetic acid-hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light, and patient relocation were undertaken. Pre-existing agreements and foundational relationships among internal multidisciplinary teams and external partners were leveraged to bolster detection and mitigation efforts and to provide genomic epidemiology. RESULTS Candida auris was isolated from 3 of 132 surface samples on days 8, 9, and 15 of ward occupancy, and from no patient samples (0 of 48). Environmental and patient isolates were genetically identical (4-8 single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) and most closely related to the 2013 India CA-6684 strain (~200 SNPs), supporting the epidemiological hypothesis that the source of environmental contamination was the index case patient, who probably acquired the South Asian strain from another New York hospital. All isolates contained a mutation associated with azole resistance (K163R) found in the India 2105 VPCI strain but not in CA-6684. The index patient remained colonized until death. No surfaces were CA-positive 1 month later. CONCLUSION Compared to previous descriptions, CA dissemination was minimal. Immediate access to rapid CA diagnostics facilitates early containment strategies and outbreak investigations. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:53-57.

Hospital and asylum visiting in historical perspective: themes and issues.

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Mooney, Graham; Reinarz, Jonathan

2009-01-01

Compared to doctors, patients and institutions, visitors are an understudied constituency in medical history. The collection of essays in this book situates the historical practice of hospital and asylum visiting in broad social, cultural and geographical perspectives. This introduction loosely categorises visitors into four groups: patient visitors, including family and friends; public visitors, such as entertainers, tourists and the clergy, who have no direct formal ties with the institution or the patients; house visitors involved with the management and government of the hospital; and official visitors, who have inspectorial responsibilities. Discussion of the wider historical significance of visiting draws attention to issues such as urban governance, philanthropy, the public sphere, civil society and citizenship.

Hypertension with diabetes mellitus: significance from an epidemiological perspective for Japanese.

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Tatsumi, Yukako; Ohkubo, Takayoshi

2017-09-01

The prevalence of both hypertension and diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide. Both diseases lead to severe complications such as cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases, which increase the risk of death over a long period of time. Therefore, the prevention and aggravation of hypertension and diabetes mellitus are major challenges. Because few review articles have focused on the epidemiological perspective of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, we reviewed major observational studies mainly from Japan and from Western countries that have reported on the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the binominal risk of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and the risk of their coexistence. Our investigation found that approximately 50% of diabetic patients had hypertension, and approximately 20% of hypertensive patients had diabetes mellitus. Those with either hypertension or diabetes mellitus had a 1.5- to 2.0-fold higher risk of having both conditions. These results were similar for both Japan and Western countries. Although comparing the results between Japan and Western countries was difficult because the risks were estimated using widely varying statistical analyses, it was revealed that the coexistence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus certainly increased the risk of complications regardless of the country. The definition, prevalence and medical treatment of hypertension and diabetes mellitus will change in the future. For early intervention based on the latest evidence to prevent severe complications, it is important to accumulate epidemiological knowledge of hypertension and diabetes mellitus and to update the evidence for both Japan and other countries.

The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Scotland: inferences from hospital admissions.

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Adam E Handel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Multiple sclerosis (MS is a neurological disorder with a highly characteristic disease distribution. Prevalence and incidence in general increase with increasing distance from the equator. Similarly the female to male sex ratio increases with increasing latitude. Multiple possible risk factors have been hypothesised for this epidemiological trend, including human leukocyte antigen allele frequencies, ultraviolet exposure and subsequent vitamin D levels, smoking and Epstein-Barr virus. In this study we undertook a study of medical records across Scotland on an NHS health board level of resolution to examine the epidemiology of MS in this region.We calculated the number and rate of patient-linked hospital admissions throughout Scotland between 1997 and 2009 from the Scottish Morbidity Records. We used weighted-regression to examine correlations between these measures of MS, and latitude and smoking prevalence. We found a highly significant relationship between MS patient-linked admissions and latitude (r weighted by standard error (r(sw = 0.75, p = 0.002. There was no significant relationship between smoking prevalence and MS patient-linked admissions.There is a definite latitudinal effect on MS risk across Scotland, arising primarily from an excess of female MS patients at more Northerly latitudes. Whether this is a true gradient or whether a threshold effect may apply at particular latitude will be revealed only by further research. A number of genetic and environmental factors may underlie this effect.

Hospitality within hospital meals—Socio-material assemblages

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Justesen, Lise; Gyimóthy, Szilvia; Mikkelsen, Bent E.

2016-01-01

Hospital meals and their role in nutritional care have been studied primarily from a life and natural science perspective. This article takes a different approach and explores the idea of hospitality inspired by Jacques Derrida’s work on the ontology of hospitality. By drawing on ethnographic fie...... and management involved in hospital food service and in nutritional care to work more systematically with the environment for improved hospital meal experiences in the future......Hospital meals and their role in nutritional care have been studied primarily from a life and natural science perspective. This article takes a different approach and explores the idea of hospitality inspired by Jacques Derrida’s work on the ontology of hospitality. By drawing on ethnographic...

Epidemiology of Endometriosis in France: A Large, Nation-Wide Study Based on Hospital Discharge Data

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Peter von Theobald

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed to assess the prevalence of hospitalization for endometriosis in the general population in France and in each French region and to describe temporal trends, rehospitalization rates, and prevalence of the different types of endometriosis. The analyses were carried out on French hospital discharge data and covered the period 2008–2012 and a population of 14,239,197 women of childbearing age. In this population, the prevalence of hospitalization for endometriosis was 0.9%, ranging from 0.4% to 1.6% between regions. Endometriosis affected 1.5% of hospitalized women of childbearing age, ranging from 1.0% to 2.4% between regions. The number of patients hospitalized for endometriosis significantly increased over the study period (p<0.01. Of these, 4.2% were rehospitalized at least once at one year: ranging from 2.7% to 6.3% between regions. The cumulative rehospitalization rate at 3 years was 6.9%. The types of endometriosis according to the procedures performed were as follows: ovarian (40–50%, peritoneal (20–30%, intestinal (10–20%, and ureteral or bladder (<10%, with significant differences between regions. This is the first detailed epidemiological study of endometriosis in France. Further studies are needed to assess the reasons for the increasing prevalence of endometriosis and for the significant differences in regional prevalence of this disease.

Down syndrome as risk factor for respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization: A prospective multicenter epidemiological study.

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Sánchez-Luna, Manuel; Medrano, Constancio; Lirio, Julián

2017-03-01

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in childhood, particularly in premature infants, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To compare the hospitalization rates due to RSV infection and severity of disease between infants with and without Down syndrome (DS) born at term and without other associated risk factors for severe RSV infection. In a prospective multicentre epidemiological study, 93 infants were included in the DS cohort and 68 matched by sex and data of birth (±1 week) and were followed up to 1 year of age and during a complete RSV season. The hospitalization rate for all acute respiratory infection was significantly higher in the DS cohort than in the non-DS cohort (44.1% vs 7.7%, P<.0001). Hospitalizations due to RSV were significantly more frequent in the DH cohort than in the non-DS cohort (9.7% vs 1.5%, P=.03). RSV prophylaxis was recorded in 33 (35.5%) infants with DS. The rate of hospitalization according to presence or absence of RSV immunoprophylaxis was 3.0% vs 15%, respectively. Infants with DS showed a higher rate of hospitalization due to acute lower respiratory tract infection and RSV infection compared to non-DS infants. Including DS infants in recommendations for immunoprophylaxis of RSV disease should be considered. © 2016 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The epidemiological profile of Pediatric Intensive Care Center at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.

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Lanetzki, Camila Sanches; de Oliveira, Carlos Augusto Cardim; Bass, Lital Moro; Abramovici, Sulim; Troster, Eduardo Juan

2012-01-01

This study outlined the epidemiological profiles of patients who were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Center at Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital during 2009. Data were retrospectively collected for all patients admitted to the PICC during 2009. A total of 433 medical charts were reviewed, and these data were extracted using the DATAMARTS System and analyzed using the statistical software package STATA, version 11.0. There were no statistically significant differences in regards to patient gender, and the predominant age group consisted of patients between the ages of 1 to 4 years. The average occupancy rate was 69.3% per year, and there was a greater number of admissions during April, August, and October. The average length of stay at the hospital ranged from 9.7 to 19.1 days. Respiratory diseases were the main cause for admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Center, and the mortality rate of the patients admitted was 1.85%. Respiratory diseases were the most common ailment among patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Center, and the highest mortality rates were associated with neoplastic diseases.

Desafíos a la epidemiología (pasos para una epidemiología "Miltoniana" Challenges to epidemiology (steps to a "Miltonian" epidemiology

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Juan Samaja

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Se sostiene que uno de los grandes desafíos que enfrenta la Epidemiología contemporánea está situado en el campo teórico, y consiste esencialmente en la exigencia de revisar la conceptualización del objeto de la epidemiología dominante que reduce la salud de las poblaciones al comportamiento de los riesgos concebidos con abstracción de los vínculos particulares que los sujetos guardan con sus corporeidades geográficas y medioambientales. El artículo pretende reintroducir la perspectiva dialéctica que deja de lado la visión sustancialista de la realidad de las poblaciones de un lado y del medio ambiente, del otro lado, para proponer una visión estructural, funcional e histórica de ambos conceptos, desarrollando, en este sentido el espíritu de la obra del Gran Geógrafo Brasileiro.This paper argues that one of the major challenges that contemporary Epidemiology has to face is at the level of theory. In essence, it is necessary to revise the abstract conceptualization of the dominant Epidemiology object, which has reduced the health of the population to behavioral risks, without taking into account the link that people have to their geographical and environmental corporities. This article then seeks to reinsert the dialectical perspective that leaves aside the substantialist view of population reality, on one side, and that of the environment, on the other, in order to propose a structural, functional and historical perspective of both concepts, developing, in this way, the spirit of the Great Brazilian Geographer's work.

Epidemiology of adenovirus respiratory infections among hospitalized children in Seremban, Malaysia.

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Foong Ng, Khuen; Kee Tan, Kah; Hong Ng, Boon; Nair, Pritiss; Ying Gan, Wan

2015-07-01

There is scarcity of data regarding epidemiology and clinical aspects of human adenovirus acute respiratory infection (ARI) among children in developing countries. Retrospective data on demographics, clinical presentation, outcomes and laboratory findings of 116 children admitted into Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban, Malaysia from 2012 to 2013 with documented diagnosis of community-acquired adenovirus ARI were collected and analyzed. Male to female ratio was 1.70. Median age was 14 (1-107) months. The commonest symptoms were fever (94.8%; 110/116), cough (82.8%, 96), rhinorrhea (63.8%; 74), interrupted feeding (66.4%; 77), diarrhea (33.6%; 39) and conjunctivitis (21.6%; 25). Mean temperature on admission was 38.4°C±0.9°C. Among all 116 subjects, 20.7% (24) needed oxygen supplementation, 57.8% (67) required intravenous hydration, 11.2% (13) were admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit and 6.9% (8) required mechanical ventilation. Only 1% (1/87) had positive blood culture (Streptococcus pneumoniae) among 87 who received antibiotic treatment. Case fatality rate was 2.6% (3/116) and 1.7% (2/116) developed bronchiolitis obliterans. Median length of hospital stay was 4 (1-50) days. Adenovirus ARI caused significant morbidity and substantial resource utilization among hospitalized Malaysian children. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of infants below two years presenting with ARI associated with high fever. Antibiotics should not be prescribed as secondary bacterial infections are uncommon. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in two tertiary-care hospitals in Perth, Western Australia: a cross-sectional study

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N.F. Foster

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI has changed over time and between countries. It is therefore essential to monitor the characteristics of patients at risk of infection and the circulating strains to recognize local and global trends, and improve patient management. From December 2011 to May 2012 we conducted a prospective, observational epidemiological study of patients with laboratory-confirmed CDI at two tertiary teaching hospitals in Perth, Western Australia to determine CDI incidence and risk factors in an Australian setting. The incidence of CDI varied from 5.2 to 8.1 cases/10 000 occupied bed days (OBDs at one hospital and from 3.9 to 16.3/10 000 OBDs at the second hospital. In total, 80 patients with laboratory-confirmed CDI met eligibility criteria and consented to be in the study. More than half (53.8% had hospital-onset disease, 28.8% had community-onset and healthcare facility-associated disease and 7.5% were community-associated infections according to the definitions used. Severe CDI was observed in 40.0% of these cases but the 30-day mortality rate for all cases was only 2.5%. Besides a shorter length of stay among cases of community-onset CDI, no characteristics were identified that were significantly associated with community-onset or severe CDI. From 70 isolates, 34 different ribotypes were identified. The predominant ribotypes were 014 (24.3%, 020 (5.7%, 056 (5.7% and 070 (5.7%. Whereas this study suggests that the characteristics of CDI cases in Australia are not markedly different from those in other developed countries, the increase in CDI rate observed emphasizes the importance of surveillance.

Can hospitals prohibit euthanasia? An analysis from a European human rights perspective.

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Tack, Sylvie

2011-06-01

At present, in four European countries euthanasia and/ or physician assisted suicide (PAS) are tolerated under strict legal conditions. However, in practice these patient groups are often deprived of the possibility to undergo such decisions. Particularly Catholic health care institutions have developed policies which restrict the internal application of the law. Yet, the legitimacy of such policies is questionable. From a European human rights perspective it can be defended that the freedom of association allows hospitals to develop policies elaborating their ethical stances on euthanasia and PAS. However, to respect the patient's right to self-determination the concerned hospitals should at least inform current and future patients about the restrictive policy and deal carefully with euthanasia and PAS requests. If a patient's wish remains seriously incompatible with the ethical stances of the hospital, at least reasonable and attainable alternatives (such as a referral to a tolerant regional hospital) should be offered.

Hospitals as a 'risk environment': an ethno-epidemiological study of voluntary and involuntary discharge from hospital against medical advice among people who inject drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, Ryan; Small, Will; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas

2014-03-01

People who inject drugs (PWID) experience high levels of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C (HCV) infection that, together with injection-related complications such as non-fatal overdose and injection-related infections, lead to frequent hospitalizations. However, injection drug-using populations are among those most likely to be discharged from hospital against medical advice, which significantly increases their likelihood of hospital readmission, longer overall hospital stays, and death. In spite of this, little research has been undertaken examining how social-structural forces operating within hospital settings shape the experiences of PWID in receiving care in hospitals and contribute to discharges against medical advice. This ethno-epidemiological study was undertaken in Vancouver, Canada to explore how the social-structural dynamics within hospitals function to produce discharges against medical advice among PWID. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirty PWID recruited from among participants in ongoing observational cohort studies of people who inject drugs who reported that they had been discharged from hospital against medical advice within the previous two years. Data were analyzed thematically, and by drawing on the 'risk environment' framework and concepts of social violence. Our findings illustrate how intersecting social and structural factors led to inadequate pain and withdrawal management, which led to continued drug use in hospital settings. In turn, diverse forms of social control operating to regulate and prevent drug use in hospital settings amplified drug-related risks and increased the likelihood of discharge against medical advice. Given the significant morbidity and health care costs associated with discharge against medical advice among drug-using populations, there is an urgent need to reshape the social-structural contexts of hospital care for PWID by shifting emphasis toward evidence-based pain and drug treatment augmented by harm

[Urological emergencies at the Dakar university teaching hospital: epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic features].

Science.gov (United States)

Fall, B; Diao, B; Fall, P A; Diallo, Y; Sow, Y; Ondongo, A A M; Diagana, M; Ndoye, A K; Ba, M; Diagne, B A

2008-11-01

To present the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic features of the urological emergencies in Senegal, West Africa. The authors conducted a 20 months retrospective study that analyzed the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic features of all urological emergencies admitted to the urology department of the university teaching hospital Aristide-Le-Dantec (Dakar). There were 1237 urological emergencies. The mean age of the patients was 58.8 years (range one month-94 years). The sex ratio (M/F) was 20.32. These patients had an age equal to or higher than 60 years in 50.7% of the cases. The most frequent illness was urinary retention (53%) and genitor-urinary system infectious, which represented as a whole 16.4% of the cases. The gangrenes of male external genitalia (Fournier's gangrene) accounted for 4.1% of the cases and the priapism 1.3%. In emergency, 331 surgical operations were performed. The most performed procedures were the installation of a suprapubic catheter (59.8%) and debridement of a gangrene of male external genitalia (15.4%). The most frequent urological emergency in our country was the acute urinary retention. Some serious illness like gangrene of male external genitalia (Fournier's gangrene) and priapism are not rare there.

Epidemiologic perspectives in radiation carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jablon, S.

1984-01-01

Epidemiological studies can tell much about carcinogenic effects at large doses, but not at small. To embark on large, long-term, expensive follow-up studies to learn something of scientific value about the effects of low doses-an average of three rads, say - is to waste time, effort, and money. It would be a fruitless effort even if the only problem to overcome was sampling variability - but it is not

Epidemiologic profile of surgery for spinomedullary injury at a referral hospital in a country town of Brazil

OpenAIRE

Bernardi, Danilo Magnani

2014-01-01

Objectives: To analyze the epidemiological profile of patients undergoing surgery at a referral hospital in a small, country town. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out between February 2009 and May 2010, in a Regional Referral unit, with a total of 24 patients. The cases study included all patients undergoing surgery for spinal trauma during this period, with or without neurological deficits. The data analyzed were: sex, age, location and degree of the injury, and mechanism of the i...

[Epidemiology of gunshot wounds at Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua General Hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Moye-Elizalde, G A; Ruiz-Martínez, F; Suarez-Santamaría, J J; Ruiz-Ramírez, M; Reyes-Gallardo, A; Díaz-Apodaca, B A

2013-01-01

Since 2007, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua has been considered as one of the most violent cities in the world. The General Hospital in this city is the main facility where patients with gunshot wounds are taken. The increased number of admissions of patients with these injuries to many hospitals in the country deserves special attention, as it has an impact on hospital resources and management protocols. To disseminate the epidemiology of fractures caused by gunshot wounds and the hospital care of these patients. A retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted of patients admitted to the Traumatology and Orthopedics Service, Cd. Juárez General Hospital, in Chihuahua, Mexico, from January 2008 to December 2010. All of them sustained fractures resulting from gunshot wounds. A total of 1281 patients with a diagnosis of gunshot wounds were admitted to the hospital; 402 of them were included in this study with 559 fractures; 329 were males and 73 females. Of the 559 fractures, 257 involved the upper limb, 294 the lower limb, and 8 the pelvis. Gunshot wounds-related fractures were classified according to the Gustilo classification. Seventy-nine patients had grade I fractures, 302 grade III, and 21 patients had both grades. Conservative treatment was used in 44.3% of fractures and osteosynthesis in 55%. One patient underwent amputation upon admission. The most widely used osteosynthesis methods were external fixator (37%), straight plates (21%) and intramedullary nail (17%). Five patients (1.3%) underwent amputation: two with femur fracture and 3 with humeral fracture. There were 27 deep infections (6%); one of them resulted in late amputation of the pelvic limb. The most common associated injuries included: chest injuries in 20 patients and abdominal injuries in 17. The range of hospital stay was 1-18 days, with a mean stay of 11 days. The overall mortality rate considering the total number of patients admitted (1,281) was 99 patients (7.72%). From 2006 to 2010 the

[Trends and perspectives of nursing administration: a study in the Santa Casa hospital of Belo Horizonte-MG].

Science.gov (United States)

Spagnol, Carla Aparecida; Ferraz, Clarice Aparecida

2002-01-01

The "Santa Casa" Hospital of Belo Horizonte has implemented a new management system that has characterized it as a flexible organization. Based on this context, the authors of this research defined the following objectives: to analyze nursing administration by considering the implementation of the Management System (SIGESC), to describe how the nursing team perceives communication, the decision-making process and interpersonal relationships, to identify possible trends and perspectives present in the administrative practice developed. A time of transition in nursing administration that presents characteristics of classical management and contemporaneous management was shown as well as trends and perspectives that will contribute to the reorganization of nursing work in hospitals.

A 3-year prospective study of the epidemiology of acute respiratory viral infections in hospitalized children in Shenzhen, China.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ying; Lin, Guang-Yu; Wang, Qiong; Cai, Xiao-Ying; Zhang, Yin-Hui; Lin, Chuang-Xing; Lu, Chang-Dong; Lu, Xue-Dong

2014-07-01

The epidemiology of local viral etiologies is essential for the management of viral respiratory tract infections. Limited data are available in China to describe the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections, especially in small-medium cities and rural areas. To determine the viral etiology and seasonality of acute respiratory infections in hospitalized children, a 3-year study was conducted in Shenzhen, China. Nasopharyngeal aspirates from eligible children were collected. Influenza and other respiratory viruses were tested by molecular assays simultaneously. Data were analyzed to describe the frequency and seasonality. Of the 2025 children enrolled in the study, 971 (48.0%) were positive for at least one viral pathogen, in which 890 (91.7%) were respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; 30.5%) and human rhinovirus (HRV; 21.5%). Co-infections were found in 302 cases (31.1%), and dual viral infection was dominant. RSV, HRV and IAV were the most frequent viral agents involved in co-infection. On the whole, the obvious seasonal peaks mainly from March to May were observed with peak strength varying from 1 year to another. This study provides a basic profile of the epidemiology of acute respiratory viral infection in hospitalized children in Shenzhen. The spectrum of viruses in the study site is similar to that in other places, but the seasonality is closely related to geographic position, different from that in big cities in northern China and neighboring Hong Kong. © 2014 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Epidemiology and the Tobacco Epidemic: How Research on Tobacco and Health Shaped Epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Samet, Jonathan M

2016-03-01

In this article, I provide a perspective on the tobacco epidemic and epidemiology, describing the impact of the tobacco-caused disease epidemic on the field of epidemiology. Although there is an enormous body of epidemiologic evidence on the associations of smoking with health, little systematic attention has been given to how decades of research have affected epidemiology and its practice. I address the many advances that resulted from epidemiologic research on smoking and health, such as demonstration of the utility of observational designs and important parameters (the odds ratio and the population attributable risk), guidelines for causal inference, and systematic review approaches. I also cover unintended and adverse consequences for the field, including the strategy of doubt creation and the recruitment of epidemiologists by the tobacco industry to serve its mission. The paradigm of evidence-based action for addressing noncommunicable diseases began with the need to address the epidemic of tobacco-caused disease, an imperative for action documented by epidemiologic research. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using quality measures for quality improvement: the perspective of hospital staff.

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Asgar Aghaei Hashjin

Full Text Available RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This study examines the perspectives of a range of key hospital staff on the use, importance, scientific background, availability of data, feasibility of data collection, cost benefit aspects and availability of professional personnel for measurement of quality indicators among Iranian hospitals. The study aims to facilitate the use of quality indicators to improve quality of care in hospitals. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted over the period 2009 to 2010. Staff at Iranian hospitals completed a self-administered questionnaire eliciting their views on organizational, clinical process, and outcome (clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient centeredness indicators. POPULATION STUDIED: 93 hospital frontline staff including hospital/nursing managers, medical doctors, nurses, and quality improvement/medical records officers in 48 general and specialized hospitals in Iran. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: On average, only 69% of respondents reported using quality indicators in practice at their affiliated hospitals. Respondents varied significantly in their reported use of organizational, clinical process and outcome quality indicators. Overall, clinical process and effectiveness indicators were reported to be least used. The reported use of indicators corresponded with their perceived level of importance. Quality indicators were reported to be used among clinical staff significantly more than among managerial staff. In total, 74% of the respondents reported to use obligatory indicators, while this was 68% for voluntary indicators (p<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: There is a general awareness of the importance and usability of quality indicators among hospital staff in Iran, but their use is currently mostly directed towards external accountability purposes. To increase the formative use of quality indicators, creation of a common culture and feeling of shared ownership, alongside an increased uptake of clinical process and

Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus harboring the mecA or Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes in hospitals in Java and Bali, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Santosaningsih, Dewi; Santoso, Sanarto; Budayanti, Nyoman S; Kuntaman, Kuntaman; Lestari, Endang S; Farida, Helmia; Hapsari, Rebriarina; Hadi, Purnomo; Winarto, Winarto; Milheiriço, Catarina; Maquelin, Kees; Willemse-Erix, Diana; van Belkum, Alex; Severin, Juliëtte A; Verbrugh, Henri A

2014-04-01

Data of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in Indonesian hospitals are scarce. Therefore, the epidemiology of S. aureus among surgery patients in three academic hospitals in Indonesia was studied. In total, 366 of 1,502 (24.4%) patients carried S. aureus. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carriage rate was 4.3%, whereas 1.5% of the patients carried Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). Semarang and Malang city (odds ratio [OR] 9.4 and OR 9.0), being male (OR 2.4), hospitalization for more than 5 days (OR 11.708), and antibiotic therapy during hospitalization (OR 2.6) were independent determinants for MRSA carriage, whereas prior hospitalization (OR 2.5) was the only one risk factor for PVL-positive MSSA carriage. Typing of MRSA strains by Raman spectroscopy showed three large clusters assigned type 21, 24, and 38, all corresponding to ST239-MRSA-SCCmec type III. In conclusion, MRSA and PVL-positive MSSA are present among patients in surgical wards in Indonesian academic hospitals.

Impact of nursing home residence on hospital epidemiology of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a perspective from Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Verrall, A; Merchant, R; Dillon, J; Ying, D; Fisher, D

2013-03-01

In a Singapore hospital practising meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) admission screening, the relative risk for MRSA colonization for those admitted from nursing homes was 6.89 (95% confidence interval: 5.74-8.26; 41% of 190 vs 6.0% of 14,849). However, the MRSA burden on admission attributable to nursing home residence was low (6.9%). Risk factors independently associated with MRSA colonization in patients admitted from nursing homes were previous hospital admissions, broken skin, prior use of antibiotics and Chinese ethnicity. Low rates of nursing home use means that the overall impact of nursing home residence on MRSA in our hospital is low. Copyright © 2012 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The failure of academic epidemiology: witness for the prosecution.

Science.gov (United States)

Shy, C M

1997-03-15

Academic epidemiology has failed to develop the scientific methods and the knowledge base to support the fundamental public health mission of preventing disease and promoting health through organized community efforts. As a basic science of public health, epidemiology should attempt to understand health and disease from a community and ecologic perspective as a consequence of how society is organized and behaves, what impact social and economic forces have on disease incidence rates, and what community actions will be effective in altering incidence rates. However, as taught in most textbooks and as widely practiced by academicians, epidemiology has become a biomedical discipline focused on the distribution and determinants of disease in groups of individuals who happen to have some common characteristics, exposures, or diseases. The ecology of human health has not been addressed, and the societal context in which disease occurs has been either disregarded or deliberately abstracted from consideration. By essentially assuming that risk factors for disease in individuals can be summed to understand the causes of disease in populations, academic epidemiology has limited itself to a narrow biomedical perspective, thereby committing the bio-medical fallacy of inferring that disease in populations can be understood by studying risk factors for disease in individuals. Epidemiology should be redefined as a study of the distribution and societal determinants of the health status of populations. This definition provides a stronger link to be the primary mission of public health and places an appropriate emphasis on the social, economic, environmental, and cultural determinants of population health. Epidemiology must cross the boundaries of other population sciences and add to its scope a macro-epidemiology, a study of causes from a truly population perspective, considering health and disease within the context of the total human environment.

Service quality of hospital outpatient departments: patients' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarei, Ehsan

2015-01-01

Assessment of patient perceptions of health service quality as an important element in quality assessments has attracted much attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to assess the service quality of hospital outpatient departments affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences from the patients' perspective. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 in Tehran, Iran. The study samples included 500 patients who were selected by multi-stage random sampling from four hospitals. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire consisting of 50 items, and the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. For data analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Friedman test, and descriptive statistics were used through LISREL 8.54 and SPSS 18 applications. Eight significant factors were extracted for outpatient service quality, which explained about 67 per cent of the total variance. Physician consultation, information provided to the patient, and the physical environment of the clinic were the three determining factors of the quality of outpatient services. The highest and lowest perceptions were related to physician consultation and perceived waiting time dimension, respectively. The mean score of patients' perception of outpatient service quality was 3.89 (±0.60). About 59.5 per cent of patients assessed the quality of outpatient services as good, 38.2 per cent as moderate, and 2.3 per cent as poor. Practical implications - The instrument developed for this study is valid and reliable, and it can help hospital managers to identify the areas needing improvement and correction. According to the findings of this study, the majority of patients had a positive experience with outpatient departments of teaching hospitals, and the services provided in these centres were of adequate quality, based on patient assessments.

Recent advances and perspectives in molecular epidemiology of Taenia solium cysticercosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Akira; Yanagida, Tetsuya; Nakao, Minoru

2016-06-01

Cysticercosis caused by accidental ingestion of eggs of Taenia solium is spreading all over the world through globalization and is one of the most neglected, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) or neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs). In the present study, the reason why T. solium cysticercosis has been neglected is discussed at first, and followed with an overview on the most recent advances and perspectives in molecular approaches for epidemiology of T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis, since although taeniasis does not constitute recognized zoonoses, transmission and complete development are dependent on human definitive hosts. Main topics are discussions on (1) the two, Asian and Afro/American, genotypes of T. solium, (2) comparative analysis of mitochondrial (haploid) and nuclear (diploid) genes, and (3) the presence of hybrids of these two genotypes which indicates out-crossing of two genotypes in hermaphrodite tapeworms in Madagascar. Additional topics are on (4) the usefulness of phylogeographic analyses to discuss where the infection was acquired from, and (5) miscellaneous unsolved topics around these genetic diversity of T. solium. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the epidemiological profile, staging and survival of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer at the Hospital San Juan de Dios during 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira Vasquez, Christian

2012-01-01

The gastric cancer has been the second most common cause of death associated with cancer mortality worldwide; Costa Rica ranks second worldwide. The detection and treatment of this disease in early stages have been vital to reduce mortality so elevated that has been presented. A review of the literature on the subject is performed: epidemiology, risk factors, diagnostic methods, staging and therapeutic options. Survival at 5 years and epidemiological profile are analyzed with gastric cancer patients diagnosed at the Hospital San Juan de Dios during the year 2004 [es

Molecular epidemiology of Acinetobacter baumannii in central intensive care unit in Kosova teaching hospital

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Lul Raka

Full Text Available Infections caused by bacteria of genus Acinetobacter pose a significant health care challenge worldwide. Information on molecular epidemiological investigation of outbreaks caused by Acinetobacter species in Kosova is lacking. The present investigation was carried out to enlight molecular epidemiology of Acinetobacterbaumannii in the Central Intensive Care Unit (CICU of a University hospital in Kosova using pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE. During March - July 2006, A. baumannii was isolated from 30 patients, of whom 22 were infected and 8 were colonised. Twenty patients had ventilator-associated pneumonia, one patient had meningitis, and two had coinfection with bloodstream infection and surgical site infection. The most common diagnoses upon admission to the ICU were politrauma and cerebral hemorrhage. Bacterial isolates were most frequently recovered from endotracheal aspirate (86.7%. First isolation occurred, on average, on day 8 following admission (range 1-26 days. Genotype analysis of A. baumannii isolates identified nine distinct PFGE patterns, with predominance of PFGE clone E represented by isolates from 9 patients. Eight strains were resistant to carbapenems. The genetic relatedness of Acinetobacter baumannii was high, indicating cross-transmission within the ICU setting. These results emphasize the need for measures to prevent nosocomial transmission of A. baumannii in ICU.

PERSPECTIVES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WELLNESS SERVICES IN HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES: THE CASE OF HOTELS OF VLADIVOSTOK

OpenAIRE

Natalya Petrovna Ovcharenko; Viktoriya Vladimirovna Chistyak

2018-01-01

Wellness tourism is a growing segment in the world tourism market and tourism is not possible without hospitality properties. The popularity of the hotel, its attendance and profit can be significantly increased in case of implementation of wellness services in the hotel. In the article the authors examine perspectives of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties. The study is held through the example of hotels of Vladivostok. The authors note the diversity of wellness ser...

Epidemiological characteristics of trauma patients maxillofacial surgery at the Hospital Geral de Blumenau SC from 2004 to 2009

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Martins Junior, José Carlos

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Accidents involving the face have increased incidence in the last four decades. The medical literature refers to the increase in motor vehicle collisions and urban violence as the major causes of injuries, especially in young individuals. Objective: Raise the epidemiological profile of 222 patients with facial fractures at the Hospital Santo Antonio from 2004 to 2009. Method: Case study with retrospective analysis of records of patients diagnosed with facial fractures. Several variables were considered: gender, age, occupation, education level, origin, location and number of bones involved, etiology, and mean hospital stay of patients. Results: The male sex predominated with 178 cases (80.1%, the average age was 29.6 years, 86 (38.73% had a steady job. Unmarried 178 cases (80.18%. Primary school predominated among the patients, 74 (33.34%, and most live in the city of Blumenau, 175 (78.82%. The assault was primarily responsible for the surgical indication in 79 cases (35.58%, involving a bone in 193 cases (86.9%. The main bone involved was the mandible in 90 cases (40.54%. The average length of stay was 2.5 days. Conclusions: The epidemiological profile of 222 patients is an individual male, aged 20-29 years old, unmarried, low education and employee. The most prevalent etiology was assault, involving a bone, the mandible being the most involved bone.

Understanding Personal Learning Environment Perspectives of Thai International Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education Students

Science.gov (United States)

Tanyong, Siriwan; Sharafuddin, Mohamed Ali

2016-01-01

This paper is part of a periodic research conducted in developing a personal learning environment for Thailand's higher education students with English as medium of instruction. The objective of the first phase in this research was to understand the personal learning environment perspectives of Thai International tourism and hospitality higher…

CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ORAL CANCER: A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

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Kapil H Agrawal

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Background: India is heading towards various types of non-communicable diseases, which are also known as modern epidemics. Among these modern epidemics cancer is among the ten commonest cause of mortality in developing countries including India. Oral cancer is a major problem in India and accounts for 50-70% of all the cancers diagnosed. Ninety percent (90% of oral cancers in South East Asia including India are linked to tobacco chewing and tobacco smoking. Research question: What is the profile of Oral cancer (Oral cavity cases reported in the hospital? Objective: To study the clinico-epidemiological profile associated with Oral cancer cases. Methods: Study Design: Hospital based, Cross -sectional study. Settings: Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Cancer Hospital, Miraj, Maharashtra. Participants and Sample size: As it is a time bound study sample size comprised of all the confirmed cases of oral cancer reported in the hospital during the study period. The study was carried out from 1st March 2005 to 28th February 2006. Study variables included demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, enquiries regarding modifiable risk factors such as tobacco usage, alcohol consumption, site involved (within oral cavity, staging, histopathological examination, treatment modality used. Data entry and statistical analysis was done using Microsoft excel. Data presented in form of percentages and proportions. Results: Out of the total 160 cases, majority of the subjects were above 40 years age. 36 (22% of subjects were young adults (below 40 years age. 125 (78% subjects were male. Most of the subjects belonged to upper lower and lower middle socio-economic scale according to modified Kuppuswamy classification. It was observed that 139 (87% cases consumed tobacco in all forms. Out of these, ninety cases consumed tobacco in chewable form. Tobacco was chewed mainly in the form of gutka. Only ten (10 female subjects chewed tobacco. No female subjects smoked. The most

Current practice of epidemiology in Africa: highlights of the 3rd conference of the African epidemiological association and 1st conference of the Cameroon society of epidemiology, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Nkwescheu, Armand Seraphin; Fokam, Joseph; Tchendjou, Patrice; Nji, Akindeh; Ngouakam, Hermann; Andre, Bita Fouda; Joelle, Sobngwi; Uzochukwu, Benjamin; Akinroye, Kingsley; Mbacham, Wilfred; Colizzi, Vittorio; Leke, Rose; Victora, Cesar

2015-01-01

As the study of disease occurrence and health indicators in human populations, Epidemiology is a dynamic field that evolves with time and geographical context. In order to update African health workers on current epidemiological practices and to draw awareness of early career epidemiologists on concepts and opportunities in the field, the 3(rd) African Epidemiology Association and the 1st Cameroon Society of Epidemiology Conference was organized in June 2-6, 2014 at the Yaoundé Mont Febe Hotel, in Cameroon. Under the theme«Practice of Epidemiology in Africa: Stakes, Challenges and Perspectives», the conference attracted close to five hundred guest and participants from all continents. The two main programs were the pre-conference course for capacity building of African Early Career epidemiologists, and the conference itself, providing a forum for scientific exchanges on recent epidemiological concepts, encouraging the use of epidemiological methods in studying large disease burden and neglected tropical diseases; and highlighting existing opportunities.

[Clinical and epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in a university hospital in Santiago, Chile].

Science.gov (United States)

Morgado, Alvaro; Köhnenkampf, Ruth; Navarrete, Pablo; García, Patricia; Balcells, M Elvira

2012-07-01

The incidence and epidemiological profile of tuberculosis (TB) has changed significantly in the recent years in Chile. To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of TB cases diagnosed in the last decade at a university hospital in Santiago. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture registry of the microbiology laboratory was reviewed. Medical records of patients with a positive culture registered between 2000 and 2010 were retrieved and analyzed. Two hundred forty positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures were identified and the medical records of 158 of these patients were accessed for analysis. The median age was 53 years (range: 3 to 89), 55.1% were female and nearly 42% had extra-pulmonary TB. Among known risk factors, 32.9% of patients were older than 65 years, 4.4% were health care workers and 3.9% immigrants. Twenty eight percent (41/145) had some type of immunosuppression at diagnosis: 11.7% HIV infection and 16.6% were using immunosuppressive drugs. In this group, a previous tuberculin skin test was done in only 5 cases (12.2%). Adverse events related to TB treatment were reported in 21.3% of cases (17/80). No cases of fulminant hepatitis or death from this cause were identified. Four of 92 patients that had a complete follow up during treatment, died. Two of these patients were receiving steroids. Almost one third of TB cases occurred among immunosuppressed patients and 42% were extra-pulmonary forms. The prevention of TB reactivation in this group should be strengthened.

Epidemiological and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of infectious ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-09-28

Sep 28, 2011 ... profiles of infectious bacterial diarrhoea in Juba, ... a Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) resident, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, ... Teaching Hospital (JTH), Al Sabah children's hospital, .... Only 12 (4.2%) participants reached higher education.

Epidemiological characterization of patients at a tuberculosis hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

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Rodolpho Telarolli Junior

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to characterize, from the epidemiological, demographic and social point of view, patients with tuberculosis hospitalized at a hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Data sources were obtained from the hospital records of 114 patients who were discharged from the hospital in 2010. Of the 114 patients, 82.5% were men and 80% were between 20 and 49 years old. Only 16.7% were married or cohabiting; the remaining lived alone. In terms of schooling, 85.2% had completed elementary school, 9.7% of patients were homeless, and only 3.5% were working before being hospitalized. Hospitalization between 1 and 6 months (61% predominated, as well as the number of patients who were discharged because they were cured or discharged to continue their treatment on an outpatient basis. (69.4% The mortality rate among the patients was 7.9% and the co-morbidity of TB/HIV was 9.7%. Only one case was not of pulmonary tuberculosis and 5.3% were multidrug resistant. In relation to co-prevalence, alcoholism (71.0%, drug addiction (15.8%, and hepatitis C (12.3% predominate. The hospitalization of patients with tuberculosis has little to do with the disease; it is mainly associated with the lifestyles of the patients, such as the use of illicit drugs and alcohol, the absence of residency and other factors. Mortality was higher in this group of people compared to those who had received outpatient treatment. This situation can be addressed with an early diagnosis of the disease through the primary health care network.Keywords: Tuberculosis. Hospitalization. Risk Factors. Epidemiology. RESUMOCaracterização epidemiológica dos pacientes internados em um hospital de tuberculose do Estado de São Paulo, BrasilCaracterizar do ponto de vista epidemiológico, demográfico e social os doentes de tuberculose internados em 2010, e um hospital do Estado de São  Paulo, Brasil. A fonte de dados utilizada foram os prontuários hospitalares dos

CEDR: Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-08-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies have a long history of epidemiologic research programs. The main focus of these programs has been the Health and Mortality Study of the DOE work force. This epidemiologic study began in 1964 with a feasibility study of workers at the Hanford facility. Studies of other populations exposed to radiation have also been supported, including the classic epidemiologic study of radium dial painters and studies of atomic bomb survivors. From a scientific perspective, these epidemiologic research program have been productive, highly credible, and formed the bases for many radiological protection standards. Recently, there has been concern that, although research results were available, the data on which these results were based were not easily obtained by interested investigators outside DOE. Therefore, as part of an effort to integrate and broaden access to its epidemiologic information, the DOE has developed the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR) Program. Included in this effort is the development of a computer information system for accessing the collection of CEDR data and its related descriptive information. The epidemiologic data currently available through the CEDAR Program consist of analytic data sets, working data sets, and their associated documentation files. In general, data sets are the result of epidemiologic studies that have been conducted on various groups of workers at different DOE facilities during the past 30 years.

Older people’s perspectives on an elderly-friendly hospital environment: an exploratory study

Science.gov (United States)

Karki, Sushmita; Bhatta, Dharma Nand; Aryal, Umesh Raj

2015-01-01

Background Many older people are vulnerable with multiple health problems and need of extensive care and support for quality of life. The main objective of this study was to explore the older people’s perspectives on an “elderly-friendly” hospital. Methods Hospital was stratified by four domains including government, semi-government, community, and private. We interviewed 33 hospitalized older patients and four hospital managers between June and December 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal, using purposive sampling technique. We executed a qualitative content analysis step with extensive review of the interviews. Final name of the theme was given after the agreement between the research team and experts to improve trustworthiness. Elderly-friendly services, expectation from government and hospital, and health policy related to senior citizen were developed as main themes. Results Most of the participants were satisfied with the behavior of health personnel. However, none of the health personnel were trained with geriatric health care. Elderly-friendly hospital guidelines and policy were not developed by any hospitals. Older people health card, advocacy for older people’s health and benefit, and hospital environment were the common expectations of older patients. Government policy and budget constraint were the main obstacles to promote elderly-friendly health care services. Conclusion Elderly-related health policies, physical environments of hospital, elderly-friendly health manpower, advocacy, and other facilities and benefits should be improved and developed. There are urgent needs to develop elderly-friendly hospital policies and guidelines that focus on older people’s health benefits and friendly services. PMID:26028980

The Franchising Decision: The Perspective Of The Franchisee In The Hospitality Industry

OpenAIRE

Ramon Diaz-Bernardo

2011-01-01

Franchising is a major trend in the hotel industry. Despite the fact that almost two-thirds of branded hotels in the U.S. are franchised, there is a lack of empirical research on franchising in the hospitality industry. In this article, I reviewed one of the most relevant lines of research in franchising literature, usually referred as creating franchising systems, and we have concentrated on analyzing the reasons and motivations to use franchising from franchisee perspective within the hospi...

Epidemiology of human coronavirus NL63 infection among hospitalized patients with pneumonia in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Su-Hua; Su, Mei-Chi; Tien, Ni; Huang, Chien-Jhen; Lan, Yu-Ching; Lin, Chen-Sheng; Chen, Chao-Hsien; Lin, Cheng-Wen

2017-12-01

Human coronavirus (HCoV) NL63 is recognized in association with upper or lower respiratory tract illnesses in children. This study surveyed the prevalence of HCoV-NL63 and influenza viruses in patients with influenza-like illness in Taiwan during 2010-2011. Throat samples from 107 hospitalized patients with pneumonia and 175 outpatients with influenza-like illness were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays with virus-specific primers, and then virus-positive specimens were confirmed by sequencing the polymerase chain reaction products. HCoV-NL63 infection was identified in 8.4% (9/107) of hospitalized patients with pneumonia, but not found in outpatients with influenza-like illness. Age distribution of HCoV-NL63 infection in hospitalized patients with pneumonia indicated that the group aged 16-25 years (20%) had the highest positive rate compared with the other groups, and exhibited a similar age-specific pattern to influenza A/H1N1 infection, but not influenza A/H3N2 and B infections in hospitalized patients. Seasonal prevalence of HCoV-NL63 infection was late winter, overlapping the highest peak of the influenza A/H1N1 epidemic during December 2010 to March 2011 in Taiwan. Co-infection of HCoV-NL63 and influenza A/H1N1 was detected in three hospitalized patients. Clinical manifestation analysis indicated that the main symptoms for HCoV-NL63 infection included fever (88.9%), cough (77.8%), and pneumonia (100%). Co-infection caused significantly higher rates of breathing difficulties, cough, and sore throat than those of single infection with HCoV-NL63 and influenza A/H1N1. Phylogenetic analysis indicated a low level of heterogeneity between Taiwan and global HCoV-NL63 strains. Understanding epidemiology of HCoV-NL63 in Taiwan provides an insight for worldwide surveillance of HCoV-NL63 infection. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Epidemiology of road traffic injury patients presenting to a tertiary hospital in Hyderabad, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Howley, Isaac W; Gupta, Shivam; Tetali, Shailaja; Josyula, Lakshmi K; Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Gururaj, Gopalkrishna; Rao, Mohan; Hyder, Adnan A

2017-12-01

Road traffic injuries kill more people in India than in any other country in the world, and these numbers are rising with increasing population density and motorization. Official statistics regarding road traffic injuries are likely subject to underreporting. This study presents results of a surveillance program based at a public tertiary hospital in Hyderabad, India. All consenting patients who presented to the casualty ward after a road traffic injury over a 9-month period were enrolled. Interviews were performed and data abstracted from clinical records by trained research assistants. Data included demographics, injury characteristics, risk factors, safety behaviors, and outcomes. A total of 5,298 patients were enrolled; their mean age was 32.4 years (standard deviation 13.8) and 87.3% were men; 58.2% of patients were injured while riding a motorcycle or scooter, 22.5% were pedestrians, and 9.2% used motorized rickshaws. The most frequent collision type was skid or rollover (40.9%). Male victims were younger than female victims and were overrepresented among motorized 2-wheeler users. Patients were most frequently injured from 1600 to 2400. A total of 27.3% of patients were admitted. Hospital mortality was 5.3%, and 48.2% of deaths were among motorized 2-wheeler users. This is one of the few prospective, hospital-based studies of road traffic injury epidemiology in India. The patient population in this study was similar to prior hospital-based studies. When compared to government surveillance systems, this study showed motorized 2-wheeler users to be more frequently represented among the overall population and among fatalities. Further research should be done to develop interventions to decrease mortality associated with 2-wheeled vehicles in India. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Pediatric primary care providers' perspectives regarding hospital discharge communication: a mixed methods analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Leyenaar, JoAnna K; Bergert, Lora; Mallory, Leah A; Engel, Richard; Rassbach, Caroline; Shen, Mark; Woehrlen, Tess; Cooperberg, David; Coghlin, Daniel

2015-01-01

Effective communication between inpatient and outpatient providers may mitigate risks of adverse events associated with hospital discharge. However, there is an absence of pediatric literature defining effective discharge communication strategies at both freestanding children's hospitals and general hospitals. The objectives of this study were to assess associations between pediatric primary care providers' (PCPs) reported receipt of discharge communication and referral hospital type, and to describe PCPs' perspectives regarding effective discharge communication and areas for improvement. We administered a questionnaire to PCPs referring to 16 pediatric hospital medicine programs nationally. Multivariable models were developed to assess associations between referral hospital type and receipt and completeness of discharge communication. Open-ended questions asked respondents to describe effective strategies and areas requiring improvement regarding discharge communication. Conventional qualitative content analysis was performed to identify emergent themes. Responses were received from 201 PCPs, for a response rate of 63%. Although there were no differences between referral hospital type and PCP-reported receipt of discharge communication (relative risk 1.61, 95% confidence interval 0.97-2.67), PCPs referring to general hospitals more frequently reported completeness of discharge communication relative to those referring to freestanding children's hospitals (relative risk 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.26-2.51). Analysis of free text responses yielded 4 major themes: 1) structured discharge communication, 2) direct personal communication, 3) reliability and timeliness of communication, and 4) communication for effective postdischarge care. This study highlights potential differences in the experiences of PCPs referring to general hospitals and freestanding children's hospitals, and presents valuable contextual data for future quality improvement initiatives

Dietary fat and obesity : An epidemiologic perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seidell, Jacob C.

1998-01-01

The observation that dietary fat has an effect on weight gain and the development of obesity that is larger than would be expected on the basis of fat's energy value is mainly experimental. Several methodologic problems limit the interpretation of epidemiologic studies of the association between

Dietary fat and obesity : an epidemiologic perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seidell, J C

The observation that dietary fat has an effect on weight gain and the development of obesity that is larger than would be expected on the basis of fat's energy value is mainly experimental. Several methodologic problems limit the interpretation of epidemiologic studies of the association between

Children and adolescents ostomized in a reference hospital. Epidemiological profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlando José dos Santos

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To assess the epidemiological profile of children and adolescents with intestinal stoma, assisted at the Presidente Dutra University Hospital (HUPD, São Luís (MA. Methods: Observational, descriptive, retrospective, and individuated study. Data were collected from 110 children and adolescents with elimination intestinal stoma, from January 2006 to February 2013. The following variables were analyzed: age, gender, patient origin, and stomata indication, type, and temporal character. After data collection, descriptive analysis was made by Bioestat 5.0 program. Results: Of 110 patients, 78.2% were male and 21.8% female. The average age was 9.4 years old. 55.5% came from the Maranhão state countryside, and 44.5% from the capital, São Luís. Regarding stoma type, colostomies made up 88.2%, and were 11.8% ileostomies, all temporary stoma. The main cause was trauma (42.7%, with firearm abdominal puncture being the most frequent cause (71.5% of the category; followed by congenital anomalies (38.2%, and obstructive (5.4% and inflammatory (4.5% causes. Conclusion: Studied children and adolescents were mostly male, from Maranhão state countryside. The main cause was trauma, and colostomy was the most common stoma type. Resumo: Objetivos: Avaliar o perfil epidemiológico de crianças e adolescentes portadores de estomas intestinais atendidos no Hospital Universitário Presidente Dutra (HUPD em São Luís (MA. Métodos: Estudo observacional, descritivo, retrospectivo e individuado em que foram coletados dados de 110 crianças e adolescentes com estomas intestinais de eliminação de janeiro de 2006 a fevereiro de 2013. Analisaram-se as variáveis: idade, sexo, procedência dos pacientes, indicação, tipo e caráter temporal dos estomas. Após coleta dos dados, foi feita análise descritiva pelo programa Bioestat 5.0. Resultados: Dos 110 pacientes, 78,2% eram do sexo masculino e 21,8% do sexo feminino. A idade média foi de 9,4 anos. 55

What justifies a hospital admission at the end of life? A focus group study on perspectives of family physicians and nurses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reyniers, T.; Houttekieri, D.; Cohen, J.; Pasman, H.R.; Deliens, L.

2014-01-01

Background: Despite a majority preferring not to die in hospital and health policies aimed at increasing home death, the proportion of hospital deaths remains high. Gaining insight into professional caregiver perspectives about what justifies them could be helpful in understanding the persistently

Mapping epidemiology's past to inform its future: metaknowledge analysis of epidemiologic topics in leading journals, 1974-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Trinquart, Ludovic; Galea, Sandro

2015-07-15

An empiric perspective on what epidemiology has studied over time might inform discussions about future directions for the discipline. We aimed to identify the main areas of epidemiologic inquiry and determine how they evolved over time in 5 high-impact epidemiologic journals. We analyzed the titles and abstracts of 20,895 articles that were published between 1974 and 2013. In 5 time periods that reflected approximately equal numbers of articles, we identified the main topics by clustering terms based on co-occurrence. Infectious disease and cardiovascular disease epidemiology were the prevailing topics over the 5 periods. Cancer epidemiology was a major topic from 1974 to 2001 but disappeared thereafter. Nutritional epidemiology gained relative importance from 1974 to 2013. Environmental epidemiology appeared during 1996-2001 and continued to be important, whereas 2 clusters related to methodology and meta-analysis in genetics appeared during 2008-2013. Several areas of epidemiology, including injury or psychiatric epidemiology, did not make an appearance as major topics at any time. In an ancillary analysis of 6 high-impact general medicine journals, we found patterns of epidemiologic articles that were overall consistent with the findings in epidemiologic journals. This metaknowledge investigation allowed identification of the dominant topics in and conversely those that were absent from 5 major epidemiologic journals. We discuss implications for the field. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pediatric Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Clinical and Epidemiological Study in a Tertiary Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz Salvador, J M; Esteve Martínez, A; Subiabre Ferrer, D; Victoria Martínez, A M; de la Cuadra Oyanguren, J; Zaragoza Ninet, V

Few epidemiological studies have investigated the incidence of allergic contact dermatitis in children. Underdiagnosis has been observed in some studies, with many cases in which the condition is not suspected clinically and patch tests are not performed. However, the prevalence of pediatric sensitization to allergens has been reported to be as high as 20%, and the diagnosis should therefore be contemplated as a possibility in this age group. We performed a retrospective analysis of the skin allergy database of the Dermatology Department of Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia. Children between 0 and 16 years of age diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis in the previous 15 years (between 2000 and 2015) were included in the analysis. Epidemiological (age, sex, history of atopy) and clinical (site of the lesions, allergen series applied, positive reactions, and their relevance) variables were gathered. Patch tests had been performed on 4,593 patients during the study period. Of these, 265 (6%) were children aged between 0 and 16 years. A positive reaction to at least one of the allergens tested was observed in 144 (54.3%) patients in that group. The allergens most frequently identified were the following (in decreasing order of frequency): thiomersal, cobalt chloride, colophony, paraphenylenediamine, potassium dichromate, mercury, and nickel. The sensitization was considered relevant in 177 (61.3%) cases. More than half of the children studied showed sensitization to 1 or more allergens, with a high percentage of relevant sensitizations. All children with a clinical suspicion of allergic contact dermatitis should be referred for patch testing. As no standardized test series have been developed for this age group, a high level of clinical suspicion and knowledge of the allergens most commonly involved are required when selecting the allergens to be tested. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Worldwide Report, Epidemiology

Science.gov (United States)

1985-11-22

caused by ingesting eggs of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium . It has been described as the most com- mon parasitic disease of the central nervous...rather difficult to detect in stool specimens and at this stage it is impossible to distinguish between T. solium and T. saginata eggs either by...Knowledge and Perspectives, pp. 25-38. Academic Press, New York. 12. Pawlowskz S. (1982). Epidemiology and prevention of Taenia saginata infec- tion. In

Nurses' Perspectives on Interprofessional Communication in the Prevention of Functional Decline in Hospitalized Older People.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Jeffrey I; Fox, Mary T

2018-03-22

Older people present with complex health issues on admission to hospital and are at high risk for functional decline and related complications. Thus, they require the services of diverse health-care professionals working in concert to support their functioning. Despite nurses' central role in caring for this patient population, and evidence indicating that interprofessional communication is a persistent challenge for nurses in acute-care settings, little is known about nurses' views on interprofessional communication in care preserving functioning in acutely admitted older people. To fill this knowledge gap, we gathered acute-care staff nurses' perspectives on interprofessional communication in a function-focused, interprofessional approach to hospital care for older adults. Thirteen focus groups were conducted with a purposeful, criterion-based sample of 57 nurses working in acute-care hospitals. Thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes capturing nurses' perspectives on key factors shaping interprofessional communication in a function-focused interprofessional approach to care (1) context of direct communication and (2) context of indirect communication. The first theme demonstrates that nurses preferred synchronous modes of communication, but some ascribed greater importance to unstructured forms of direct information-sharing, while others stressed structured direct communication, particularly interprofessional rounds. The second theme also documents divergence in nurses' views on asynchronous communication, with some emphasizing information technology and others analog tools. Perceptions of some modes of interprofessional communication were found to vary by practice setting. Theoretical and pragmatic conclusions are drawn that can be used to optimize interprofessional communication processes supporting hospitalized older people's functioning.

Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of HIV Infection/AIDS in Hospitalized Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmetagic, Sead; Porobić-Jahic, Humera; Piljic, Dilista; Custovic, Amer; Sabitovic, Damir; Zepic, Denis

2015-02-01

More than three decades after recognition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States, the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has dramatically changed the global burden of disease. The main goal of this research is retrospective analysis of epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 28 HIV infected patients, who were diagnosed and treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in University Clinical Center Tuzla in the period from 1996 until the end of 2013. Retrospective analysis was performed using the medical records of 28 HIV-infected persons. Two rapid tests were used for HIV testing: OraQuick Advance test, Vikia HIV1/2, Elisa combo test, HIV RNA test. AIDS disease was determined by using the criteria from WHO. Among a total of 28 HIV-infected persons, 23 (82.14%) were males and 5 (17.86%) were females, with the male: female ratio of 4,6:1. In terms of the transmission route, a large proportion of cases were infected through heterosexual contact 19 (67.86%). At the time of the first visit, 16 (57.15%) patients showed asymptomatic HIV infection, 4 (14.28%) HIV infection with symptoms other than the AIDS defining diseases, and 8 (28.57) had AIDS. At the time of first hospital visit, the CD4 + cells count ranged from 40 to 1795/µl (conducted in 19 patients), and mean value of CD4 + cells was 365,31/µl, and mean HIV RNA titer was 287 118 copies/ml³. Of 28 HIV-infected persons 39 cases of opportunistic diseases developed in 12 patients (42.9%). In terms of the frequency of opportunistic diseases, tuberculosis (12 cases, 42.9%). Among a total of 28 HIV-infected patients, 6 (21.4%) of them died. This study characterizes the epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV-infected patients in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina to accurately understand HIV infection/AIDS in our region, in the hope to contribute in the establishment of effective HIV guidelines in the Tuzla region of B&H in the future.

Measurement of Quality of Educational Hospital Services by the SERVQUAL Model: The Iranian Patients' Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, Satar; Matin, Behzad Karami; Moradi, Khalil; Bijan, Behroz; Fallahi, Masoud; Shokati, Behnam; Saeidi, Hamid

2016-03-01

The main mission of hospitals in any health system is to deliver high quality healthcare for patients and meet their needs and expectations. The aim of the current study was to assess the quality of the service of educational hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2015, from the perspective of patients. In this cross-sectional study, the perspectives of 400 patients were assessed about the quality of the services provided by educational hospitals in Kermanshah (western Iran) in 2015. The quality was assessed by the SERVQUAL questionnaire with five dimensions, i.e., tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. In addition, the Wilcoxon test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to explore any association between the dependent variable and explanatory variables. The data were analyzed using Stata V.12 software. There were negative gaps in all five dimensions. The highest and lowest gaps in the mean score were found in the assurance (-0.88) and responsiveness (-0.56) dimensions. The patients ranked responsiveness as the most important dimension of the quality of healthcare. There were gaps between the patients' perceptions and their expectation about the five dimensions that were studied based on the SERVQUAL model. Also, it is recommended that improving the quality of healthcare is possible by various policies, such as good responsiveness, access to health workers, and delivering healthcare in less time.

Hospital process orientation from an operations management perspective: development of a measurement tool and practical testing in three ophthalmic practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Pedro D; Hagenbeek, Marie Louise; Vissers, Jan M H

2013-11-13

Although research interest in hospital process orientation (HPO) is growing, the development of a measurement tool to assess process orientation (PO) has not been very successful yet. To view a hospital as a series of processes organized around patients with a similar demand seems to be an attractive proposition, but it is hard to operationalize this idea in a measurement tool that can actually measure the level of PO. This research contributes to HPO from an operations management (OM) perspective by addressing the alignment, integration and coordination of activities within patient care processes. The objective of this study was to develop and practically test a new measurement tool for assessing the degree of PO within hospitals using existing tools. Through a literature search we identified a number of constructs to measure PO in hospital settings. These constructs were further operationalized, using an OM perspective. Based on five dimensions of an existing questionnaire a new HPO-measurement tool was developed to measure the degree of PO within hospitals on the basis of respondents' perception. The HPO-measurement tool was pre-tested in a non-participating hospital and discussed with experts in a focus group. The multicentre exploratory case study was conducted in the ophthalmic practices of three different types of Dutch hospitals. In total 26 employees from three disciplines participated. After filling in the questionnaire an interview was held with each participant to check the validity and the reliability of the measurement tool. The application of the HPO-measurement tool, analysis of the scores and interviews with the participants resulted in the possibility to identify differences of PO performance and the areas of improvement--from a PO point of view--within each hospital. The result of refinement of the items of the measurement tool after practical testing is a set of 41 items to assess the degree of PO from an OM perspective within hospitals. The

Radiation epidemiology: Past and present

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boice, J.D. Jr.

1997-01-01

Major advancements in radiation epidemiology have occurred during the last several years in studies of atomic bomb survivors, patients given medical radiation, and radiation workers, including underground miners. Risks associated with the Chernobyl accident, indoor radon and childhood exposure to I-131 have yet to be elucidated. Situations in the former Soviet Union around Chelyabinsk, a nuclear installation in the southern Urals, and in the Altai, which received radioactive fallout from weapons testing at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, have the potential to provide information on the effects of chronic radiation exposure. Since Roentgen's discovery of x-rays just 100 years ago, a tremendous amount of knowledge has been accumulated about human health effects following irradiation. The 1994 UNSCEAR report contains the latest compilation and synthesis of radiation epidemiology. This overview will cover epidemiology from a radiation perspective. The different types of study methodologies will be described, followed by a kaleidoscope coverage of past and present studies; ending with some remaining questions in radiation epidemiology. This should set the stage for future chapters, and stimulate thinking about implications of the new data on radiation cancer risks

Epidemiology of urethral stricture at Tygerberg Hospital | Steenkamp ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Over a 12-month period, 120 consecutive male patients with confirmed urethral stricture were prospectively studied with regard to the epidemiology of the disease. Specific urethritis is the main aetiological factor (45%) and internal and external trauma account for an alarming 38,3% of cases. The prevalence is highest ...

Cost analysis of inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents: hospital and caregiver perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Matthew; Katzman, Debra K.; Akseer, Nadia; Steinegger, Cathleen; Hancock-Howard, Rebecca L.; Coyte, Peter C.

2015-01-01

Background Admission to hospital is the treatment of choice for anorexia nervosa in adolescent patients who are medically unstable; however, stays are often prolonged and frequently disrupt normal adolescent development, family functioning, school and work productivity. We sought to determine the costs of inpatient treatment in this population from a hospital and caregiver perspective, and to identify determinants of such costs. Methods We used micro-costing methods for this cohort study involving all adolescent patients (age 12–18 yr) admitted for treatment of anorexia nervosa at a tertiary care child and adolescent eating disorder program in Toronto, between Sept. 1, 2011, and Mar. 31, 2013. We used hospital administrative data and Canadian census data to calculate hospital and caregiver costs. Results We included 73 adolescents in our cohort for cost-analysis. We determined a mean total hospital cost in 2013 Canadian dollars of $51 349 (standard deviation [SD] $26 598) and a mean total societal cost of $54 932 (SD $27 864) per admission, based on a mean length of stay of 37.9 days (SD 19.7 d). We found patient body mass index (BMI) to be the only significant negative predictor of hospital cost (p adolescents with anorexia nervosa on hospitals and caregivers is substantial, especially among younger patients and those with lower BMI. Recognizing the symptoms of eating disorders early may preclude the need for admission to hospital altogether or result in admissions at higher BMIs, thereby potentially reducing these costs. PMID:26389097

The epidemiology of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria: data from a general hospital in Athens, Greece, 2007-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Panagiotou, Marios; Papaioannou, Andriana I; Kostikas, Konstantinos; Paraskeua, Maria; Velentza, Ekaterini; Kanellopoulou, Maria; Filaditaki, Vasiliki; Karagiannidis, Napoleon

2014-01-01

The epidemiology of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in Greece is largely unknown. To determine the incidence and the demographic, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary NTM infection and pulmonary NTM disease. A retrospective review of the demographic, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients with NTM culture-positive respiratory specimens from January 2007 to May 2013. A total of 120 patients were identified with at least one respiratory NTM isolate and 56 patients (46%) fulfilled the microbiological ATS/IDSA criteria for NTM disease. Of patients with adequate data, 16% fulfilled the complete ATS/IDSA criteria for NTM disease. The incidence of pulmonary NTM infection and disease was 18.9 and 8.8 per 100.000 inpatients and outpatients, respectively. The spectrum of NTM species was high (13 species) and predominated by M. avium-intracellulare complex (M. avium (13%), M. intracellulare (10%)), M. gordonae (14%), and M. fortuitum (12%). The ratio of isolation of NTM to M. tuberculosis in all hospitalized patients was 0.59. The first data on the epidemiology of pulmonary NTM in Athens, Greece, are presented. NTM infection is common in patients with chronic respiratory disease. However, only a significantly smaller proportion of patients fulfill the criteria for NTM disease.

The implementation of DRG-based hospital reimbursement in Switzerland: A population-based perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Busato, André; von Below, Georg

2010-10-16

Switzerland introduces a DRG (Diagnosis Related Groups) based system for hospital financing in 2012 in order to increase efficiency and transparency of Swiss health care. DRG-based hospital reimbursement is not simultaneously realized in all Swiss cantons and several cantons already implemented DRG-based financing irrespective of the national agenda, a setting that provides an opportunity to compare the situation in different cantons. Effects of introducing DRGs anticipated for providers and insurers are relatively well known but it remains less clear what effects DRGs will have on served populations. The objective of the study is therefore to analyze differences of volume and major quality indicators of care between areas with or without DRG-based hospital reimbursement from a population based perspective. Small area analysis of all hospitalizations in acute care hospitals and of all consultations reimbursed by mandatory basic health insurance for physicians in own practice during 2003-2007. The results show fewer hospitalizations and a relocation of resources to outpatient care in areas with DRG reimbursement. Overall burden of disease expressed as per capita DRG cost weights was almost identical between the two types of hospital reimbursement and no distinct temporal differences were detected in this respect. But the results show considerably higher 90-day rehospitalization rates in DRG areas. The study provides evidence of both desired and harmful effects related to the implementation of DRGs. Systematic monitoring of outcomes and quality of care are therefore essential elements to maintain in the Swiss health system after DRG's are implemented on a nationwide basis in 2012.

Epidemiological assessment of influenza (H1N1- A in patients hospitalized in Tohid hospital in Sanandaj, Iran during 2013-2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Houshiyar Ghafouri

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza virus which is highly contagious and spread easily. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of influenza (H1N1 type A in patients admitted to Tohid hospital, Sanandaj, Iran during 2013-2014. Material and Methods: This study was descriptive. Data were collected using a questionnaire which was designed based on study goals. The questionnaires were completed via interview, observation and performing clinical tests. After clinical confirmation of influenza by a specialist, genotype was determined by PCR. Results: Of the total 76 cases, 36 cases (48.6% were male, mean age was 42.7 ± 16.3 and 13.5% were rural and 86.5 were urban dwellers. 52 patient (70.3% were hospitalized and 22 (29.7% were outpatients. Travel history was including, abroad 9.5%, domestic 16.2% and without traveling 75.3%. The average time between referring to the doctor and sampling for H1N1 was 2.7 days. The prevalence of influenza (H1N1 A was 1.4%. Conclusion: The low incidence of H1N1 influenza type A in this study was probably due to travel to infected areas. Considering virus mutation, the readiness of health services to prevent an epidemic of this disease is essential and recommended.

Population-Based Study of the Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster in Korea

OpenAIRE

Kim, You Jeong; Lee, Chang Nam; Lim, Chi-Yeon; Jeon, Woo Seok; Park, Young Min

2014-01-01

General epidemiological data regarding herpes zoster (HZ) are necessary for treatment and prevention of this disease. In addition, epidemiological data can play an important role in evaluating the efficacy and impact of vaccination. Though several epidemiological studies of HZ in Korea have been conducted, they usually depend on hospital-based data and may not be representative of HZ characteristics all over Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and other epidemiologi...

Hospital-acquired listeriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, J C; Lanser, S; Bignardi, G; Pedler, S; Hollyoak, V

2002-06-01

We report four cases of listeriosis that occurred over a two-month period in north east England. Due to the apparent nosocomial acquisition of infection and the clustering of cases in time and place, extended epidemiological investigation was performed and the outbreak was traced to a caterer who was providing sandwiches for hospital shops. We discuss the difficulties in preventing food-borne listeriosis in the hospital setting. Copyright 2002 The Hospital Infection Society.

Meningitis registry of hospitalized cases in children: epidemiological patterns of acute bacterial meningitis throughout a 32-year period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syriopoulou Vassiliki P

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacterial meningitis remains a source of substantial morbidity and mortality in childhood. During the last decades gradual changes have been observed in the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis, related to the introduction of new polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines. The study presents an overview of the epidemiological patterns of acute bacterial meningitis in a tertiary children 's hospital during a 32-year period, using information from a disease registry. Moreover, it discusses the contribution of communicable disease registries in the study of acute infectious diseases. Methods In the early 1970s a Meningitis Registry (MR was created for patients admitted with meningitis in Aghia Sofia Children's Hospital in Athens. The MR includes demographic, clinical and laboratory data as well as treatment, complications and outcome of the patients. In 2000 a database was created and the collected data were entered, analyzed and presented in three chronological periods: A (1974–1984, B (1985–1994 and C (1995–2005. Results Of the 2,477 cases of bacterial meningitis registered in total, 1,146 cases (46.3% were classified as "probable" and 1,331 (53.7% as "confirmed" bacterial meningitis. The estimated mean annual Incidence Rate (IR was 16.9/100,000 for bacterial meningitis, 8.9/100,000 for Neisseria meningitidis, 1.3/100,000 for Streptococcus pneumoniae, 2.5/100,000 for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib before vaccination and 0.4/100,000 for Hib after vaccination. Neisseria meningitis constituted the leading cause of childhood bacterial meningitis for all periods and in all age groups. Hib was the second most common cause of bacterial meningitis before the introduction of Hib conjugate vaccine, in periods A and B. The incidence of bacterial meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae was stable. The long-term epidemiological pattern of Neisseria meningitidis appears in cycles of approximately 10 years, confirmed by a significant

Clinical features and therapeutic management of patients admitted to Italian acute hospital psychiatric units: the PERSEO (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology survey

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Russo Federico

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The PERSEO study (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology is a naturalistic, observational clinical survey in Italian acute hospital psychiatric units, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura; in English, the psychiatric service for diagnosis and management. The aims of this paper are: (i to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients, including sociodemographic features, risk factors, life habits and psychiatric diagnoses; and (ii to assess the clinical management, subjective wellbeing and attitudes toward medications. Methods A total of 62 SPDCs distributed throughout Italy participated in the study and 2521 patients were enrolled over the 5-month study period. Results Almost half of patients (46% showed an aggressive behaviour at admission to ward, but they engaged more commonly in verbal aggression (38%, than in aggression toward other people (20%. A total of 78% of patients had a psychiatric diagnosis at admission, most frequently schizophrenia (36%, followed by depression (16% and personality disorders (14%, and no relevant changes in the diagnoses pattern were observed during hospital stay. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly prescribed drugs, regardless of diagnosis, at all time points. Overall, up to 83% of patients were treated with neuroleptic drugs and up to 27% received more than one neuroleptic either during hospital stay or at discharge. Atypical and conventional antipsychotics were equally prescribed for schizophrenia (59 vs 65% during stay and 59 vs 60% at discharge, while atypical drugs were preferred in schizoaffective psychoses (72 vs 49% during stay and 70 vs 46% at discharge and depression (41 vs 32% during stay and 44 vs 25% at discharge. Atypical neuroleptics were slightly preferred to conventional ones at hospital discharge (52 vs 44%. Polypharmacy was in general widely used. Patient attitudes toward medications were on average positive and self

Epidemiology of Urinary Tract Infections in Hospitolized Children in Fatemi-Sahamieh Hospital (2005-2006

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M.R Shokrollahei

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Background and ObjectivesMorbidity and mortality of urinary tract infection is common in spite of prescription of effective new antibiotics. Chronic pyelonphritis is one of the important reasons of end stage renal failure. Our study is carried out on 167 children admitted in Fatemi koodacan Hospital due to urinary tract infection. Major goal of this study was determination of epidemiology of urinary tract infection.Methods This study was cross sectional descriptive and sampling method was census. Various Factors such as age, gender, causative pathogen, used antibiotics and required time for getting negative urine culture test were studied. data were collected by means questionnaire.ResultsAccording to the study urinary tract infection was more common in females (74.2% of all cases while in male neonates it is more common than females. Incidence peak of urinary tract infection is seen in children between 1-6 years old. The most common pathogens responsible to urinary tract infection was E. coli and Klebsiella. The most common background disease was vesicoureteral reflux. The most common prescribed antibiotic was ceftriaxone (65%. After 2 days of taking antibiotic the majority of patients (87.7% had negative urine culture.ConclusionIn our study E. coli and Klebsiella are the most common pathogen responsible to urinary tract infection. In our study the frequency of urinary tract infection with Proteus was low (only 1.1% in comparison with other studies. Other epidemiological indices in this study were comparable to previous studies.Keywords: Urinary Tract, Urinary Tract Infections, Children

The treatment of 'difficult' patients in a secure unit of a specialized psychiatric hospital : The patient's perspective

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N. Kool-Goudzwaard; Bauke van Koekkoek; C.J. Gamel; M. Bos; B. Meijel

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to obtain insight, from a patient's perspective, into the results and essential components of treatment in specialist settings for so-called 'difficult' patients in mental health care. In cases where usual hospital treatment is not successful, a temporary transfer to

Radiation epidemiology: a perspective on Fukushima

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boice, John D Jr

2012-01-01

For nearly 100 years, epidemiologic studies of human populations exposed to ionising radiation have provided quantitative information on health risks. High dose deterministic (tissue reaction) effects result when sufficient numbers of functioning cells are killed, such as in bone marrow depression that can lead to death. Lower dose stochastic effects are probabilistic in nature and include an increased risk of cancer later in life and heritable genetic defects, although genetic conditions in the children of irradiated parents have yet to be convincingly demonstrated. Radiation studies are of diverse populations and include not only the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, but also patients treated with radiation for malignant and non-malignant disease; patients exposed for diagnostic purposes; persons with intakes of radionuclides; workers occupationally exposed; and communities exposed to environmental and accidentally released sources of radiation. Much is known about radiation and its risks. The major unanswered question in radiation epidemiology, however, is not whether radiation causes cancer, but what the level of risk is following low dose (<100 mSv) or low dose rate exposures. Paracelsus is credited with first articulating that the 'poison is in the dose', which for radiation epidemiology translates as 'the lower the dose, the lower the risk' and, an important corollary, the lower the dose, the greater the difficulty in detecting any increase in the number of cancers possibly attributable to radiation. In contrast to the Chernobyl reactor accident, the Fukushima reactor accident has to date resulted in no deterministic effects and no worker deaths. Estimates to date of population doses suggest very low uptakes of radioactive iodine which was a major determinant of the epidemic of thyroid cancer following childhood exposures around Chernobyl. The estimates to date of population doses are also much lower (and the distribution much narrower) than the doses for

Measurement of Quality of Educational Hospital Services by the SERVQUAL Model: The Iranian Patients’ Perspective

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Rezaei, Satar; Matin, Behzad Karami; Moradi, Khalil; Bijan, Behroz; Fallahi, Masoud; Shokati, Behnam; Saeidi, Hamid

2016-01-01

Introduction The main mission of hospitals in any health system is to deliver high quality healthcare for patients and meet their needs and expectations. The aim of the current study was to assess the quality of the service of educational hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2015, from the perspective of patients. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the perspectives of 400 patients were assessed about the quality of the services provided by educational hospitals in Kermanshah (western Iran) in 2015. The quality was assessed by the SERVQUAL questionnaire with five dimensions, i.e., tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. In addition, the Wilcoxon test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to explore any association between the dependent variable and explanatory variables. The data were analyzed using Stata V.12 software. Results There were negative gaps in all five dimensions. The highest and lowest gaps in the mean score were found in the assurance (−0.88) and responsiveness (−0.56) dimensions. The patients ranked responsiveness as the most important dimension of the quality of healthcare. Conclusion There were gaps between the patients’ perceptions and their expectation about the five dimensions that were studied based on the SERVQUAL model. Also, it is recommended that improving the quality of healthcare is possible by various policies, such as good responsiveness, access to health workers, and delivering healthcare in less time. PMID:27123218

Vigilância epidemiológica e avaliação da assistência às meningites Epidemiologic surveillance and evaluation of meningitis hospital care

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Claudia Caminha Escosteguy

2004-10-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar o perfil clínico-epidemiológico dos casos de meningite internados em hospital público e os fatores associados à evolução hospitalar. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados 694 casos confirmados, notificados e investigados pelo serviço de epidemiologia de um hospital público de 1986 a 2002. Os dados foram coletados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan, como parte da rotina local de vigilância epidemiológica. Foi realizada análise multivariada por regressão logística. RESULTADOS: Etiologias mais freqüentes: criptocócica (12,3%; letalidade =37,7%; meningocócica (8,7%; letalidade =13,3%; pneumocócica (7,2%; letalidade =46%; tuberculosa (6,1%; letalidade =40,5%; estafilocócica (5,2%; letalidade =38,9%, viral (5,5%; letalidade =7,9%; hemófilo (2,9%; letalidade =20%. 38,8% dos casos apresentavam etiologia não especificada (letalidade =36% e 17,3% estavam associados à infecção pelo HIV. Observou-se meningite hospitalar em 27,1% e seqüelas em 9,2% dos casos com alta hospitalar. Variáveis associadas a uma maior chance de óbito: etiologia (referência viral - tuberculose, criptococo, estafilococo, meningococo, não especificada, outros gram negativos, cândida e pneumococo; infecção pelo HIV; coma. A tríade febre, vômitos e rigidez de nuca associou-se a uma menor chance de óbito. CONCLUSÕES: A elevada proporção de etiologia não especificada e letalidade alta podem refletir problemas de processo de assistência e/ou seleção dos casos relacionada ao perfil do hospital. A vigilância epidemiológica operante no nível hospitalar foi capaz de retro-alimentar os serviços com indicadores da assistência, sendo pertinente o uso do Sinan neste nível.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical-epidemiological profile and in-hospital death predictors of infectious meningitis patients admitted to a public hospital. METHODS: There were studied 694 cases of meningitis notified and investigated by a public

Current status and perspectives of Clonorchis sinensis and clonorchiasis: epidemiology, pathogenesis, omics, prevention and control.

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Tang, Ze-Li; Huang, Yan; Yu, Xin-Bing

2016-07-06

Clonorchiasis, caused by Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is an important food-borne parasitic disease and one of the most common zoonoses. Currently, it is estimated that more than 200 million people are at risk of C. sinensis infection, and over 15 million are infected worldwide. C. sinensis infection is closely related to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), fibrosis and other human hepatobiliary diseases; thus, clonorchiasis is a serious public health problem in endemic areas. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, disease burden and treatment of clonorchiasis as well as summarizes the techniques for detecting C. sinensis infection in humans and intermediate hosts and vaccine development against clonorchiasis. Newer data regarding the pathogenesis of clonorchiasis and the genome, transcriptome and secretome of C. sinensis are collected, thus providing perspectives for future studies. These advances in research will aid the development of innovative strategies for the prevention and control of clonorchiasis.

Hospital Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Moshi, Tanzania, as Determined by Whole Genome Sequencing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumburu, Happiness H.; Sonda, Tolbert; Leekitcharoenphon, Pimlapas

2018-01-01

Objective. To determine molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant S. aureus in Tanzania using whole genome sequencing. Methods. DNA from 33 Staphylococcus species was recovered from subcultured archived Staphylococcus isolates. Whole genome sequencing was performed on IlluminaMiseq using...... among the 30 S. aureus isolates, with ST-8 (n = seven, 23%) being the most common. Gene detection in S. aureus stains were as follows: mecA, 10 (33.3%); pvl, 5 (16.7%); tst, 2 (6.7%). The SNP difference among the six Tanzanian ST-8MRSA isolates ranged from 24 to 196 SNPs and from 16 to 446 SNPs when...... using the USA300_FPR3757 or the USA500 2395 as a reference, respectively. The mutation rate was 1.38 x 10(-11) SNPs/site/year or 1.4 x 10(-6) SNPs/site/year as estimated by USA300 FPR3757 or the USA500 2395, respectively. Conclusion. S. aureus isolates causing infections in hospitalized patients...

Epidemiology of urinary tract infections and antibiotics sensitivity among pregnant women at Khartoum North Hospital

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Ali Salah K

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Urinary tract infections (UTI can lead to poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. Investigating epidemiology of UTI and antibiotics sensitivity among pregnant women is fundamental for care-givers and health planners. Methods A cross sectional study has been conducted at Khartoum north teaching hospital Antenatal Care Clinic between February-June 2010, to investigate epidemiology of UTI and antibiotics resistance among pregnant women. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from pregnant women. UTI was diagnosed using mid stream urine culture on standard culture media Results Out of 235 pregnant women included, 66 (28.0% were symptomatic and 169 (71.9% asymptomatic. the prevalence of bacteriuria among symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women were (12.1%, and (14.7% respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.596, and the overall prevalence of UTI was (14.0%. In multivariate analyses, age, gestational age, parity, and history of UTI in index pregnancy were not associated with bacteriuria. Escherichia coli (42.4% and S. aureus (39.3% were the commonest isolated bacteria. Four, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2 and 0 out of 14 E. coli isolates, showed resistance to amoxicillin, naladixic acid, nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanate and norfloxacin, respectively Conclusion Escherichia coli were the most prevalent causative organisms and showing multi drug resistance pattern, asymptomatic bacteriuria is more prevalent than symptomatic among pregnant women. Urine culture for screening and diagnosis purpose for all pregnant is recommended.

Epidemiology of urinary tract infections and antibiotics sensitivity among pregnant women at Khartoum North Hospital.

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Hamdan, Hamdan Z; Ziad, Abdel Haliem M; Ali, Salah K; Adam, Ishag

2011-01-18

Urinary tract infections (UTI) can lead to poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. Investigating epidemiology of UTI and antibiotics sensitivity among pregnant women is fundamental for care-givers and health planners. A cross sectional study has been conducted at Khartoum north teaching hospital Antenatal Care Clinic between February-June 2010, to investigate epidemiology of UTI and antibiotics resistance among pregnant women. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from pregnant women. UTI was diagnosed using mid stream urine culture on standard culture media Out of 235 pregnant women included, 66 (28.0%) were symptomatic and 169 (71.9%) asymptomatic. the prevalence of bacteriuria among symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women were (12.1%), and (14.7%) respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.596), and the overall prevalence of UTI was (14.0%). In multivariate analyses, age, gestational age, parity, and history of UTI in index pregnancy were not associated with bacteriuria. Escherichia coli (42.4%) and S. aureus (39.3%) were the commonest isolated bacteria. Four, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2 and 0 out of 14 E. coli isolates, showed resistance to amoxicillin, naladixic acid, nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanate and norfloxacin, respectively. Escherichia coli were the most prevalent causative organisms and showing multi drug resistance pattern, asymptomatic bacteriuria is more prevalent than symptomatic among pregnant women. Urine culture for screening and diagnosis purpose for all pregnant is recommended.

Interactional aspects of care during hospitalization: perspectives of family caregivers of psychiatrically ill in a tertiary care setting in India.

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Dinakaran, P; Mehrotra, Seema; Bharath, Srikala

2014-12-01

There are very few studies on user-perspectives about mental health care services that explore perspectives of family caregivers in India. An exploratory study was undertaken to understand the perceived importance of various aspects of interactions with mental health service providers during hospitalization, from the perspectives of family caregivers. In addition, it also aimed at documenting their actual experience of interactional aspects of care during the hospitalization of their relatives. The study was conducted on fifty family caregivers of patients with varied psychiatric diagnoses hospitalized in a tertiary psychiatric care setting in South India. Measures of Interactional aspects of care were developed to assess perceived importance of six different interactional domains of care and the actual experience of care in these domains. Provision of informational inputs and addressing of concerns raised emerged as the domains of care given highest importance. The item pertaining to 'sharing with the caregiver about different alternatives for treatment' received negative ratings in terms of actual experience by maximum number of participants (18%). Significant differences on perceived importance of four domains of interactional aspects of care (dignity, confidentiality and fairness, addressing concerns raised, informational inputs and prompt attention and consistent care) emerged between caregiver subgroups based on educational level of the caregiver, socio-economic status, hospitalization history and broad diagnostic categories. In addition, the care givers of patients with psychoses assigned significantly more positive ratings on actual experience for all the domains of interactional aspects of care. The findings have implications for further research and practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical and epidemiological features of AIDS/tuberculosis comorbidity

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Song Alice Tung Wan

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the relevance of AIDS/tuberculosis comorbidity worldwide, especially in Brazil, this study was developed to describe the clinical and epidemiological features of the comorbid cases identified from 1989 to 1997 by the epidemiology service of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade de São Paulo. METHODS: Databases containing information on all identified AIDS/tuberculosis cases cared for at the hospital were used to gather information on comorbid cases. RESULTS: During the period, 559 patients were identified as presenting with AIDS/tuberculosis comorbidity. Risk behavior for AIDS was primarily heterosexual contact (38.9%, followed by intravenous drug use (29.3% and homosexual/bisexual contact (23.2%. Regarding clinical features, there were higher rates of extrapulmonary tuberculosis when compared to tuberculosis without comorbidity. There was an increase in reporting of AIDS by ambulatory units during the period. Epidemiologically, there was a decrease in the male/female ratio, a predominance in the 20 to 39 year-old age group, and a majority of individuals who had less than 8 years of schooling and had low professional qualifications. CONCLUSIONS: High rates of AIDS/tuberculosis cases at our hospital indicate the need for better attention towards early detection of tuberculosis, especially in its extrapulmonary form. Since the population that attends this hospital tends to be of a lower socioeconomic status, better management of AIDS and tuberculosis is required to increase the rates of treatment adherence and thus lower the social costs.

[Influenza vaccination of hospital healthcare staff from the perspective of the employer: a positive balance].

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Hak, Eelko; Knol, Lisanne M; Wilschut, Jan C; Postma, Maarten J

2010-01-01

To assess the annual productivity loss among hospital healthcare workers attributable to influenza and to estimate the costs and economic benefits of a vaccination programme from the perspective of the the employer. Cost-benefit analysis. The percentage of work loss due to influenza was determined using monthly age and gender specific figures for productivity loss among healthcare workers of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands over the period January 2006-June 2008. Influenza periods were determined on the basis of national surveillance data. The average increase in productivity loss in these periods was estimated by comparison with the periods outside influenza seasons. The direct costs of productivity loss from the perspective of the employer were estimated using the friction cost method. In the sensitivity analyses various modelling parameters were varied, such as the vaccination coverage. In the UMCG, with approximately 9,400 employees, the estimated annual costs associated with productivity loss due to influenza before the introduction of the yearly influenza vaccination program were € 675,242 or on average, € 72 per employee. The economic benefits of the current vaccination program with a vaccination coverage of 24% with a vaccine effectiveness of 71% were estimated at € 89,858 or € 10 per employee. The nett economic benefits of a vaccination program with a target vaccination coverage of 70% with a vaccine effectiveness of 71% were estimated at € 244,325 or € 26 per employee. This modelling study performed from the perspective of the employer showed that an annual influenza vaccination programme for hospital personnel can save costs.

Epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis among children in Gadarif hospital, eastern Sudan

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Mohammed Ahmed A. Ahmed

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 1900s, visceral leishmaniasis (VL has been among the most important health problems in Sudan, particularly in the endemic areas such as eastern and central regions. Methods This was a cross sectional, hospital-based study conducted from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2015 to investigate the epidemiological factors of VL in Gadarif hospital, eastern Sudan. Results During the study period there were 47 identified children with VL among 145 suspected cases. The most common clinical presentations were fever (47, 100%, pallor (47, 100%, weight loss (40, 85.1%, splenomegaly (37, 78.7%, lymphadenopathy (33, 70.2%, vomiting (32, 68% cough (28, 59%, loss of appetite (22, 46.8%, diarrhoea (17, 36.1% and jaundice (5, 10.6%. With regard to the outcome after short term follow up 37 patients (78.8% improved without complications, while 3 (6.4%, 2 (4.3%, 2 (4.3%, 1 (2.1%, 1 (2.1% and 1 (2.1% developed pneumonia, otitis media, septicaemia, urinary tract infection, parasitic infestation and PKDL respectively. Lower mean of haemoglobin level was observed among the VL cases in comparison with the suspected cases (in whom VL was excluded haemoglobin level {8.9 (3.1 Vs 11 (6.3, P = 0.021}. Again more proportion of anaemic (47 (100% Vs 14 (14.2%, P = 0.000 and severely anaemic (23 (48.9% Vs 2 (2%, P = 0.006 patients was detected among the infected children. Using logistic regression analyses there was significant association between rural residence (CI = 1.5–24, OR = 19.1, P = 0.023, male gender (CI = 6.6–18.7, OR = 6.4, P = 0.001 and VL among children. Conclusions While there is an advance in prevention and management of visceral leishmaniasis our results indicate that VL is still a public health problem with its severe complications among children in eastern Sudan.

Coordinated hospital-home care for kidney patients on hemodialysis from the perspective of nursing personnel

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Luz María Tejada-Tayabas

2015-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To examine, from the nursing perspective, the needs and challenges of coordinated hospital-home care for renal patients on hemodialysis. METHODS: A qualitative analysis was conducted with an ethnographic approach in a hemodialysis unit in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine nurses, selected by purposeful sampling. Structured content analysis was used. RESULTS: Nurses recounted the needs and challenges involved in caring for renal patients. They also identified barriers that limit coordinated patient care in the hospital and the home, mainly the work overload at the hemodialysis unit and the lack of a systematic strategy for education and lifelong guidance to patients, their families and caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the importance and necessity of establishing a strategy that goes beyond conventional guidance provided to caregivers of renal patients, integrating them into the multidisciplinary group of health professionals that provide care for these patients in the hospital to establish coordinated hospital-home care that increases therapeutic adherence, treatment substitution effectiveness and patient quality of life.

Experiencing hospitality : an exploratory study on the experiential dimensions of hospitality

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Pijls-Hoekstra, Ruth; Groen, Brenda H.; Galetzka, Mirjam; Pruyn, Ad T.H.

2015-01-01

What is hospitality? Only few academic articles tap into the meaning of the concept of hospitality. Especially academic investigation of hospitality from a guest perspective is scarce; the combination of ‘hospitality’ and ‘experience’ has received hardly any attention. The present paper describes a

A systematic review of transmission dynamic studies of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in non-hospital residential facilities.

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Kwok, Kin On; Read, Jonathan M; Tang, Arthur; Chen, Hong; Riley, Steven; Kam, Kai Man

2018-04-18

Non-hospital residential facilities are important reservoirs for MRSA transmission. However, conclusions and public health implications drawn from the many mathematical models depicting nosocomial MRSA transmission may not be applicable to these settings. Therefore, we reviewed the MRSA transmission dynamics studies in defined non-hospital residential facilities to: (1) provide an overview of basic epidemiology which has been addressed; (2) identify future research direction; and (3) improve future model implementation. A review was conducted by searching related keywords in PUBMED without time restriction as well as internet searches via Google search engine. We included only articles describing the epidemiological transmission pathways of MRSA/community-associated MRSA within and between defined non-hospital residential settings. Among the 10 included articles, nursing homes (NHs) and correctional facilities (CFs) were two settings considered most frequently. Importation of colonized residents was a plausible reason for MRSA outbreaks in NHs, where MRSA was endemic without strict infection control interventions. The importance of NHs over hospitals in increasing nosocomial MRSA prevalence was highlighted. Suggested interventions in NHs included: appropriate staffing level, screening and decolonizing, and hand hygiene. On the other hand, the small population amongst inmates in CFs has no effect on MRSA community transmission. Included models ranged from system-level compartmental models to agent-based models. There was no consensus over the course of disease progression in these models, which were mainly featured with NH residents /CF inmates/ hospital patients as transmission pathways. Some parameters used by these models were outdated or unfit. Importance of NHs has been highlighted from these current studies addressing scattered aspects of MRSA epidemiology. However, the wide variety of non-hospital residential settings suggest that more work is needed before

The Epidemiology of Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacteria: Data from a General Hospital in Athens, Greece, 2007–2013

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Papaioannou, Andriana I.; Paraskeua, Maria; Velentza, Ekaterini; Kanellopoulou, Maria; Filaditaki, Vasiliki; Karagiannidis, Napoleon

2014-01-01

Background. The epidemiology of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in Greece is largely unknown. Objectives. To determine the incidence and the demographic, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary NTM infection and pulmonary NTM disease. Methods. A retrospective review of the demographic, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients with NTM culture-positive respiratory specimens from January 2007 to May 2013. Results. A total of 120 patients were identified with at least one respiratory NTM isolate and 56 patients (46%) fulfilled the microbiological ATS/IDSA criteria for NTM disease. Of patients with adequate data, 16% fulfilled the complete ATS/IDSA criteria for NTM disease. The incidence of pulmonary NTM infection and disease was 18.9 and 8.8 per 100.000 inpatients and outpatients, respectively. The spectrum of NTM species was high (13 species) and predominated by M. avium-intracellulare complex (M. avium (13%), M. intracellulare (10%)), M. gordonae (14%), and M. fortuitum (12%). The ratio of isolation of NTM to M. tuberculosis in all hospitalized patients was 0.59. Conclusions. The first data on the epidemiology of pulmonary NTM in Athens, Greece, are presented. NTM infection is common in patients with chronic respiratory disease. However, only a significantly smaller proportion of patients fulfill the criteria for NTM disease. PMID:25132991

Epidemiology and outcome of pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA in Canadian hospitals.

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Manal Tadros

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MRSA remains a leading cause of hospital-acquired (HAP and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP. We describe the epidemiology and outcome of MRSA pneumonia in Canadian hospitals, and identify factors contributing to mortality. METHODS: Prospective surveillance for MRSA pneumonia in adults was done for one year (2011 in 11 Canadian hospitals. Standard criteria for MRSA HAP, HCAP, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP, and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP were used to identify cases. MRSA isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL gene detection. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 30 days. A multivariable analysis was done to examine the association between various host and microbial factors and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 161 patients with MRSA pneumonia were identified: 90 (56% with HAP, 26 (16% HCAP, and 45 (28% CAP; 23 (14% patients had VAP. The mean (± SD incidence of MRSA HAP was 0.32 (± 0.26 per 10,000 patient-days, and of MRSA VAP was 0.30 (± 0.5 per 1,000 ventilator-days. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 28.0%. In multivariable analysis, variables associated with mortality were the presence of multiorgan failure (OR 8.1; 95% CI 2.5-26.0, and infection with an isolate with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0-6.3. CONCLUSIONS: MRSA pneumonia is associated with significant mortality. Severity of disease at presentation, and infection caused by an isolate with elevated MIC to vancomcyin are associated with increased mortality. Additional studies are required to better understand the impact of host and microbial variables on outcome.

[Epidemiologic profile of children with burns from the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara "Dr. Juan I. Menchaca", 2009-2011].

Science.gov (United States)

Orozco-Valerio, María de Jesús; Celis de la Rosa, Alfredo de Jesús; Méndez-Magaña, Ana Cecilia; Miranda-Altamirano, Rodolfo Ariel

Burns are a public health problem, ranking among the 20 principal causes of morbidity in Mexico. Children are a more vulnerable group to suffer from these injuries. For that reason, we analyzed cases in order to gain a better comprehension and to propose preventive measures for this problem. The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiological profile of those injuries to allow us to plan and implement actions for burn prevention. We conducted a cross-sectional study that included demographic characteristics of the child, the parents and the burn injuries from children treated at this Burn Unit. Statistical analysis was done to calculate amounts, proportions and 95% confidence intervals. The epidemiological profile of the injuries included males (63.4%) <5 years of age (65.2%) with educational level according to their age (56.2%). Parents of the included children were <35 years old with basic educational level. Burns were caused by hot water (56.2%) and occurred between noon and midnight (73.0%). The majority of the burns were shallow and deep second-degree or minor (69.2%) and affected <20% of body surface area (74.5%). This epidemiological profile paved the way for preventive actions beginning with scientific research to guide the actions in a progressive direction along with the cooperative actions of public and private institutions in the development of programs and strategies. The end result would be the establishment of a public policy for accidental injuries. Copyright © 2015 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Factors involved in the paradox of reverse epidemiology.

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Martín-Ponce, Esther; Santolaria, Francisco; Alemán-Valls, María-Remedios; González-Reimers, Emilio; Martínez-Riera, Antonio; Rodríguez-Gaspar, Melchor; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Eva

2010-08-01

The hypothesis of reverse epidemiology holds that some cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, in the elderly or in some chronic diseases are not harmful but permit better survival. However, this phenomenon is controversial and the underlying reasons are poorly understood. To search for factors simultaneously linked to reverse epidemiology and to short or long term survival. We included 400 patients, older than 60 years, hospitalized in a general internal medicine unit; 61 died in hospital and 338 were followed up by telephone. Obesity, higher blood pressure and serum cholesterol, besides being related to lower mortality both in hospital and after discharge, were associated with better nutrition and functional capacity, less intense acute phase reaction and organ dysfunction, and lower incidence of high-mortality diseases such as dementia, pneumonia, sepsis or cancer. These associations may explain why obesity and other reverse epidemiology data are inversely related to mortality. Weight loss was related to mortality independently of BMI. Patients with BMI under 30 kg/m(2) who died in hospital showed more weight loss than those who survived; the lower the BMI, the greater the weight loss. In contrast, patients with BMI over 30 kg/m(2) who died in hospital gained more weight than those who survived; the higher the BMI, the greater the weight gain. In patients over 60 years of age admitted to an internal medicine ward, obesity did not show independent survival value, being displaced by other nutritional parameters, functional capacity, acute phase reaction, organ dysfunction and diseases with poor prognosis. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Epidemiologic features of patients affected by herpes zoster: database analysis of the Ferrara University Dermatology Unit, Italy.

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Gabutti, G; Serenelli, C; Sarno, O; Marconi, S; Corazza, M; Virgili, A

2010-05-01

The recent authorization and commercialization in the USA of a "Zoster vaccine" with high antigenic titer opens interesting perspectives of prevention against herpes zoster (HZ). This disease is characterized by a vesicular rash with dermatomeric extension and by moderate to severe pain. Many patients present with post-herpetic neuralgia. In Italy, complete and recent epidemiological data are not available. We evaluated the epidemiological features of patients presenting with HZ observed at the Ferrara University Dermatology unit from 2000 to 2008. The following data were collected: gender, age, residence, date and place of consultation, localization, and therapy. The place of consultation was often (43%) not specified; in the remaining 57% of cases, patients were sent from general and ophthalmology emergency rooms. The most frequent localizations were: 32% ophthalmic; 16.5% thoracic; 16% facial. Most patients were treated with oral antiviral drugs for seven days. According to localization and severity, topical or oral antibiotics, analgesics, neurotrophic drugs were prescribed. This data, although not representative of all cases in the province of Ferrara, confirmed the epidemiological impact of Zoster, which brings a number of patients to use the hospital and specialized structures for diagnosis and cure. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A one-year observational study of all hospitalized and fatal acute poisonings in Oslo: epidemiology, intention and follow-up.

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Lund, Cathrine; Teige, Brita; Drottning, Per; Stiksrud, Birgitte; Rui, Tor Olav; Lyngra, Marianne; Ekeberg, Oivind; Jacobsen, Dag; Hovda, Knut Erik

2012-10-09

Up to date information on poisoning trends is important. This study reports the epidemiology of all hospitalized acute poisonings in Oslo, including mortality, follow-up referrals, and whether the introduction of over-the-counter sales of paracetamol outside pharmacies had an impact on the frequency of poisonings. All acute poisonings of adults (≥16 years) treated at the five hospitals in Oslo from April 2008 to April 2009 were included consecutively in an observational cross-sectional multicentre study. A standardized form was completed by the treating physician, which covered the study aims. All deaths by poisoning in and outside hospitals were registered at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. There were 1065 hospital admissions of 912 individuals; 460 (50%) were male, and the median age was 36 years. The annual incidence was 2.0 per 1000. The most frequent toxic agents were ethanol (18%), benzodiazepines (15%), paracetamol (11%), and opioids (11%). Physicians classified 46% as possible or definite suicide attempts, 37% as accidental overdoses with substances of abuse (AOSA), and 16% as other accidents. Twenty-four per cent were discharged without any follow-up and the no follow-up odds were highest for AOSA. There were 117 deaths (eight in hospital), of which 75% were males, and the median age was 41 years. Thus, the annual mortality rate was 25 per 100 000 and the in-hospital mortality was 0.8%. Opioids were the most frequent cause of death. The incidence of hospitalized acute poisonings in Oslo was similar to that in 2003 and there was an equal sex distribution. Compared with a study performed in Oslo in 2003, there has been an increase in poisonings with a suicidal intention. The in-hospital mortality was low and nine out of ten deaths occurred outside hospitals. Opioids were the leading cause of death, so preventive measures should be encouraged among substance abusers. The number of poisonings caused by paracetamol remained unchanged after the

Epidemiological study of facial fractures at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service, Santa Casa de Misericordia Hospital Complex, Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil

OpenAIRE

Zamboni, Rodrigo Andrighetti; Wagner, João Carlos Birnfeld; Volkweis, Maurício Roth; Gerhardt, Eduardo Luis; Buchmann, Elissa Muller; Bavaresco, Caren Serra

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives: to investigate the incidence and etiology of face trauma with diagnosis of facial fracture treated at the Buccomaxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology Service of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital Complex in Porto Alegre. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective epidemiological study of 134 trauma victims with 153 facial fractures. Results: the male gender was the most affected (86.6%) and the incidence was higher in the age group from 21 to 30 yea...

Evaluating Midwives Communication Skills from the Perspective of Parturient Women Attending to Hospitals for Delivery

OpenAIRE

Maryam Sadat Katebi; Talat Khadivzadeh; Zohre Sepehri Shamloo; Habibolah Esmaily

2017-01-01

Background & aim: Communication is a fundamental human need. Medical students and healthcare professionals must be attuned to the needs of patients using effective communication skills. With regards to medical training, currently the focus is on theoretical matters and communication skills are taken for granted. This problem has caused miscommunication with patients referred to teaching hospitals. We conducted this study to assess communication skills of midwives from the perspective of partu...

Linking healthcare associated norovirus outbreaks: a molecular epidemiologic method for investigating transmission

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Andrews Nick

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Noroviruses are highly infectious pathogens that cause gastroenteritis in the community and in semi-closed institutions such as hospitals. During outbreaks, multiple units within a hospital are often affected, and a major question for control programs is: are the affected units part of the same outbreak or are they unrelated transmission events? In practice, investigators often assume a transmission link based on epidemiological observations, rather than a systematic approach to tracing transmission. Here, we present a combined molecular and statistical method for assessing: 1 whether observed clusters provide evidence of local transmission and 2 the probability that anecdotally|linked outbreaks truly shared a transmission event. Methods 76 healthcare associated outbreaks were observed in an active and prospective surveillance scheme of 15 hospitals in the county of Avon, England from April 2002 to March 2003. Viral RNA from 64 out of 76 specimens from distinct outbreaks was amplified by reverse transcription-PCR and was sequenced in the polymerase (ORF 1 and capsid (ORF 2 regions. The genetic diversity, at the nucleotide level, was analysed in relation to the epidemiological patterns. Results Two out of four genetic and epidemiological clusters of outbreaks were unlikely to have occurred by chance alone, thus suggesting local transmission. There was anecdotal epidemiological evidence of a transmission link among 5 outbreaks pairs. By combining this epidemiological observation with viral sequence data, the evidence of a link remained convincing in 3 of these pairs. These results are sensitive to prior beliefs of the strength of epidemiological evidence especially when the outbreak strains are common in the background population. Conclusion The evidence suggests that transmission between hospitals units does occur. Using the proposed criteria, certain hypothesized transmission links between outbreaks were supported while

Participation of the family in hospital-based palliative cancer care: perspective of nurses

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Marcelle Miranda da Silva

Full Text Available The objective was to understand the perspective of nurses about the participation of the family in palliative cancer care and to analyze the nursing care strategies to meet their needs. Descriptive and qualitative research, conducted at the National Cancer Institute between January and March 2013, with 17 nurses. Elements of the Roy Adaptation Model were used for the interpretation of the data. Two categoriesemergedfrom the thematic analysis: perspective of nurses about the presence and valuation of family in the hospital; and appointing strategies to encourage family participation in care and meet their needs. This participation is essentialand represents a training opportunity for the purpose of homecare. Nurses create strategies to encourage it and seek to meet the needs. The results contribute to promote the family adaptation and integrity, in order to balance the dependent and independent behaviors, aimingfor quality of life and comfort. Further studies are neededdue to the challenges of the specialty.

Molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in the community and hospital in Korea: emergence of ST131 producing CTX-M-15

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Park Sun

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL-producing Escherichia coli has been increased not only in the hospital but also in the community worldwide. This study was aimed to characterize ESBL- producing E. coli isolates and to investigate the molecular epidemiology of community isolates in comparison with hospital isolates at a single center in Korea. Methods A total of 142 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were collected at Daejeon St Mary’s Hospital in Korea from January 2008 to September 2009. The ESBLs were characterized by PCR sequencing using specific primers. The genetic relatedness was determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST. Results Of 142 isolates, 139 were positive for CTX-M type ESBLs; CTX-M-14 (n = 69, 49.6 %, CTX-M-15 (n = 53, 38.1 % and both CTX-M-14 and -15 (n = 17, 12.2 %. CTX-M-14 and CTX-M-15 were detected in both community and hospital isolates whereas isolates producing both CTX-M14 and-15 were mainly identified in the hospital. CTX-M producing E. coli isolates were genetically heterogeneous, revealing 75 distinct PFGE types. By MLST, 21 distinctive STs including 5 major STs (ST131, ST405, ST38, ST10, and ST648 were identified. Major STs were distributed in both community and hospital isolates, and ST131 was the predominant clone regardless of the locations of acquisition. No specific major STs were confined to a single type of ESBLs. However, ST131 clones were significantly associated with CTX-M-15 and the majority of them were multidrug-resistant. Distinctively, we identified a hospital epidemic caused by the dissemination of an epidemic strain, ST131-PFGE type 10, characterized by multidrug resistance and co-producing both CTX-Ms with OXA-1 or TEM-1b. Conclusions The epidemiology of ESBL-producing E. coli is a complex and evolving phenomenon attributed to the horizontal transfer of genetic elements and clonal spread of

Epidemiology of Serious Mental Illness in Malta - Consequences for developing a new psychiatric hospital and community psychiatry.

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Grech, Anton

2016-09-01

Mental Health Services in Malta are presently at crossroads, because they are in the stage of increasing and strengthening the community services and considering closing the main psychiatric inpatient facility and replacing it with a new hospital. For proper planning of such changes, and ideal approach is that of basing these plans on results of population based epidemiological findings on rate of mental illness and required care. Such studies are strongly recommended, and this approach has already been used in Malta a couple of years ago prior to establishing inpatient care for Eating Disorders. In absence of such studies, this paper proposes ways how to use findings from available research and data to use as basis for such proper service plans.

The treatment of ‘difficult’ patients in a secure unit of a specialized psychiatric hospital: the patient's perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.J. Gamel; B. Koekkoek; prof Berno van Meijel; M. Bos; Nienke Kool

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to obtain insight, from a patient's perspective, into the results and essential components of treatment in specialist settings for so-called ‘difficult’ patients in mental health care. In cases where usual hospital treatment is not successful, a temporary transfer to

Hospital descrlptlve epidemiology of cerebrovascular disorders in G. Almenara 1. Natlonal Hospital

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Deza, Luis; Aldave, Raquel; Concha, Gina; Salazar, Luis; Carmona, Jorge; Castillo, Marco

2014-01-01

We present an epidemiological approach of a two years clinical observation study of a cohort of 208 admissions with cerebrovascular disease. This report represents part of a wider project intended to clarify the natural history of cerebrovascular diseases in Peru. We found a 70.7% of occlusions or stenosis, a 26.9% of intracerebral hemorrhages, a 1.9% of subarachnoid hemorrhage and a 0.5% of other unspecified. A mean age of onset of 62.2 years, with a very large range, probably with a later a...

Retrospective study on the epidemiology of the septic arthritis and acute osteomyelitis by Staphylococcus aureus in patients hospitalized at the Hospital Nacional de Ninos Dr. Carlos Saenz Herrera January 2007- September 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanabria Leiva, Mariana

2014-01-01

The general epidemiology and microbiology of acute osteomyelitis and septic arthritis by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are described in children hospitalized at the Hospital de Ninos between January 2007 and September 2013. 88 patients are included in the study, of which 64% have corresponded to acute osteomyelitis, septic arthritis 21% and 15% both diagnoses. Age groups, joints and bones most affected are identified. Antibiotic sensitivity changes of the S. aureus are determined in the last 5 years. The use of imaging studies and diagnostic tests are specified in patients with acute osteomyelitis and septic arthritis. Complications, mortality and sequelae most common are established in patients. The surgical procedures are described. The clindamycin and TMP-SMX are recommended as drugs of first choice for the treatment of acute osteomyelitis and septic arthritis [es

[The Perspectives and Expectations of New Nursing Graduates Regarding the Hospital-Based Nursing Students Scholarship].

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Chen, Kuan-Ling; Tsai, Yun-Fang; Shao, Jung-Hua; Shyu, Yea-Ing

2016-10-01

The hospital-based scholarship is a relatively recent incentive used by hospitals to recruit new nursing graduates. Few studies have explored the impact of these scholarship programs on hospital recruitment. To explore the perspectives and expectations of new nursing graduates on the application of a hospital-based scholarship for nursing students. This study used a qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 20 new nursing graduates from one university in northern Taiwan in 2013. Content analysis was applied to analyze the data. Two themes were identified by participants who had applied for a hospital-based scholarship: "aspire to be a nursing-scholarship recipient and work towards this aspiration" and "look forward to receiving a nursing-scholarship and imagine possible features of the future life." One theme was identified by participants who had not applied for a hospital-based scholarship: "agree with the policy of hospital-based scholarship but resist the restrictions on their life." Although both groups agreed that the scholarship program helped relieve financial stresses, participants who had applied for the scholarship tended to hold positive and aggressive attitudes towards the nursing scholarship. Conversely, participants who had not applied for the scholarship did so due to the perceived conflicts between the scholarship and their career plans. It is recommended to consider providing career-planning assistance to new graduates and to arrange that students who sign a scholarship contract have their clinical practice in their working unit in order to improve adaptation.

House of healing, house of disrespect: a Kantian perspective on disrespectful behaviour among hospital workers.

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Bernstein, Mark; Fundner, Rita

2002-01-01

Respect toward patients is one of the most fundamental and central tenets guiding both modern bioethical practice and the everyday behaviour of all healthcare professionals. However, similar courtesy and respect is often breached in day-to-day interactions between hospital workers. Many examples are relatively minor, while egregious examples such as gender discrimination and physical abuse do occur. The more egregious transgressions may be handled by formal processes, even legal proceedings. However, the innumerable smaller examples of disrespectful behaviour are ubiquitous and insidious in their erosion of a productive collaborative approach to patient care and other aspects of functioning within the institution. The authors briefly summarize some of the pertinent literature on this subject and analyze the problem of disrespect in the hospital with special focus on the issue as seen from the perspective of the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Some simple recommendations for improving disrespectful behaviour amongst hospital workers are offered.

Surveillance of Candida spp bloodstream infections: epidemiological trends and risk factors of death in two Mexican tertiary care hospitals.

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Dora E Corzo-Leon

Full Text Available Larger populations at risk, broader use of antibiotics and longer hospital stays have impacted on the incidence of Candida sp. bloodstream infections (CBSI.To determine clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with CBSI in two tertiary care reference medical institutions in Mexico City.Prospective and observational laboratory-based surveillance study conducted from 07/2008 to 06/2010.All patients with CBSI were included. Identification and antifungal susceptibility were performed using CLSI M27-A3 standard procedures. Frequencies, Mann-Whitney U test or T test were used as needed. Risk factors were determined with multivariable analysis and binary logistic regression analysis.CBSI represented 3.8% of nosocomial bloodstream infections. Cumulative incidence was 2.8 per 1000 discharges (incidence rate: 0.38 per 1000 patient-days. C. albicans was the predominant species (46%, followed by C. tropicalis (26%. C. glabrata was isolated from patients with diabetes (50%, and elderly patients. Sixty-four patients (86% received antifungals. Amphotericin-B deoxycholate (AmBD was the most commonly used agent (66%. Overall mortality rate reached 46%, and risk factors for death were APACHE II score ≥ 16 (OR = 6.94, CI95% = 2.34-20.58, p<0.0001, and liver disease (OR = 186.11, CI95% = 7.61-4550.20, p = 0.001. Full susceptibility to fluconazole, AmBD and echinocandins among C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. parapsilosis was observed.The cumulative incidence rate in these centers was higher than other reports from tertiary care hospitals from Latin America. Knowledge of local epidemiologic patterns permits the design of more specific strategies for prevention and preemptive therapy of CBSI.

Epidemiology of paediatric poisoning reporting to a tertiary hospital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods. We conducted a retrospective study from January 2007 to January 2012 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Results. Poisoning is a significant health problem in the study area. A total of 253 children reported to the hospital with poisoning over the 61month period, with an average ...

Acinetobacter spp. as nosocomial pathogens: Epidemiology and resistance features

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Saad B. Almasaudi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The genus Acinetobacter is a major cause of nosocomial infections; it is increasingly being associated with various epidemics and has become a widespread concern in a variety of hospitals worldwide. Multi-antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, is now recognized to be of great clinical significance. Numerous reports relay to the spread of A. baumannii in the hospital settings which leads to enhanced nosocomial outbreaks associated with high death rates. However, many other Acinetobacter spp. also can cause nosocomial infections. This review focused on the role of Acinetobacter spp. as nosocomial pathogens in addition to their persistence, antimicrobial resistance patterns and epidemiology. Keywords: Acinetobacter, Nosocomial infections, Multi-drug resistance, Epidemiology, Characteristics

Postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up: Perspectives of Australian hospital clinicians and general practitioners.

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Kilgour, Catherine; Bogossian, Fiona Elizabeth; Callaway, Leonie; Gallois, Cindy

2018-05-04

The reasons for low postnatal screening rates for women with gestational diabetes mellitus are not well understood. Multiple care providers, settings and changes to diagnostic criteria, may contribute to confusion over postnatal care. Quality of communication between clinicians may be an important influence for the completion of postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up. Describe and analyse communication processes between hospital clinicians (midwives, medical, allied staff) and general practitioners who provide postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus care. Purposive sampling and convergent interviews explored participants' communication experiences providing gestational diabetes mellitus postnatal follow-up. Data were analysed with Leximancer automated content analysis software; interpretation was undertaken using Communication Accommodation Theory. Clinicians who provided maternity care at a tertiary referral hospital (n=13) in Queensland, Australia, and general practitioners (n=16) who provided maternity shared care with that hospital between December 2012 and July 2013. Thematic analysis identified very different perspectives between the experiences of General Practitioners and hospital clinicians; six themes emerged. General practitioners were concerned about themes relating to discharge summaries and follow-up guidelines. In contrast, hospital clinicians were more concerned about themes relating to gestational diabetes mellitus antenatal care and specialist clinics. Two themes, gestational diabetes mellitus women and postnatal checks were shared. Gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up is characterised by communication where general practitioners appear to be information seekers whose communication needs are not met by hospital clinicians. Midwives are ideally placed to assist in improving communication and postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up. Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Genesis of Preeclampsia: An Epidemiological Approach

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Salvador-Moysén, Jaime; Martínez-López, Yolanda; Ramírez-Aranda, José M.; Aguilar-Durán, Marisela; Terrones-González, Alberto

2012-01-01

There are analyzed some of the main aspects related to the causality of preeclampsia, privileging two types of models: the clinic model and the epidemiologic model, first one represented by the hypothesis of the reduced placental perfusion and the second one considering the epidemiologic findings related to the high levels of psychosocial stress and its association with preeclampsia. It is reasoned out the relevance of raising the causality of the disease from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating the valuable information generated from both types, clinical and epidemiologic, and finally a tentative explanatory model of preeclampsia is proposed, the subclinical and sociocultural aspects that predispose and trigger the disease are emphasized making aspects to stand out: the importance of reduced placental perfusion as an indicator of individual risk, and the high levels of physiological stress, as a result of the unfavorable conditions of the psychosocial surroundings (indicator of population risk) of the pregnant women. PMID:22462008

Rocky mountain spotted fever hospitalizations among American Indians.

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Demma, Linda J; Holman, Robert C; Mikosz, Christina A; Curns, Aaron T; Swerdlow, David L; Paisano, Edna L; Cheek, James E

2006-09-01

To describe the epidemiology of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), we conducted a retrospective analysis of hospitalization records with an RMSF diagnosis using Indian Health Service (IHS) hospital discharge data for calendar years 1980-2003. A total of 261 RMSF hospitalizations were reported among AIs, for an average annual hospitalization rate of 1.21 per 100,000 persons; two deaths were reported (0.8%). Most hospitalizations (88.5%) occurred in the Southern Plains region, where the rate was 4.23 per 100,000 persons. Children 1-4 years of age had the highest age-specific hospitalization rate of 2.50 per 100,000 persons. The overall annual RMSF hospitalization rate declined during the study period. Understanding the epidemiology of RMSF among AI/ANs and educating IHS/tribal physicians on the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases remain important for the prompt treatment of RMSF and the reduction of the disease occurrence among AI/ANs, particularly in high-risk areas.

Tuberculosis patients hospitalized in the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon-a retrospective observational study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stolp, S. M.; Huson, M. A. M.; Janssen, S.; Beyeme, J. O.; Grobusch, M. P.

2013-01-01

Epidemiological data on tuberculosis in Central Africa are limited. We performed a retrospective observational study on clinical characteristics of 719 hospitalized tuberculosis patients in Lambaréné, Gabon. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection rate was high (34%) and in-hospital

Epidemiology and clinical profile of common musculoskeletal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Epidemiology and clinical profile of common musculoskeletal diseases in patients with diabetes mellitus at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ... or worsening of MSD. Keywords: musculoskeletal complications; diabetic foot; foot care; trigger finger; Dupuytren's contracture; stiff frozen shoulder ...

Clinical epidemiology in the era of big data: new opportunities, familiar challenges

OpenAIRE

Ehrenstein,Vera; Nielsen,Henrik; Pedersen,Alma B; Johnsen,Søren P; Pedersen,Lars

2017-01-01

Vera Ehrenstein, Henrik Nielsen, Alma B Pedersen, Søren P Johnsen, Lars Pedersen Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark Abstract: Routinely recorded health data have evolved from mere by-products of health care delivery or billing into a powerful research tool for studying and improving patient care through clinical epidemiologic research. Big data in the context of epidemiologic research means large interlinkable data s...

Epidemiology and Outcomes of Bloodstream Infections in Patients With Solid Tumors in a Central American Population at Mexico Hospital, San Jose, Costa Rica

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Jorge Calvo-Lon

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Bloodstream infections (BSIs are an important cause of mortality in patients with solid tumors. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the epidemiologic profile and mortality of patients with solid tumors who have BSIs and were admitted to Mexico Hospital. This is the first study in Costa Rica and Central America describing the current epidemiologic situation. Methods: We analyzed the infectious disease database for BSIs in patients with solid tumors admitted to Mexico Hospital from January 2012 to December 2014. Epidemiology and mortality were obtained according to microorganism, antibiotic sensitivity, tumor type, and presence of central venous catheter (CVC. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: A total of 164 BSIs were recorded, the median age was 58 years, 103 patients (63% were males, and 128 cases of infection (78% were the result of gram-negative bacilli (GNB. Klebsiella pneumoniae (21%, Escherichia coli (21%, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15% were the most common microorganisms isolated. Gram-positive cocci (GPC were found in 36 patients, with the most frequent microorganisms being Staphylococcus aureus (10% and Staphyloccocus epidermidis (6%. With respect to tumor type, BSIs were more frequent in the GI tract (57% followed by head and neck (9% and genitourinary tract (8%. Regarding antibiotic susceptibility, only 17% (GNB expressed extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and 12% (GPC had methicillin resistance. Patients with CVCs (n = 59 were colonized mainly by GNB (78%. Overall the mortality rate at 30 days was about 30%. Conclusion: GNB are the most frequent cause of BSIs in solid tumors and in patients with CVCs. GI cancers had more BSIs than other sites. Mortality and antibiotic sensitivity remained stable and acceptable during this observational period in this Latin American population.

Typical occupational accidents with employees of a university hospital in the south of Brazil: epidemiology and prevention.

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Sêcco, Iara Aparecida de Oliveira; Robazzi, Maria Lúcia do Carmo Cruz; Shimizu, Denise Sayuri; Rúbio, Márcia Maria da Silva

2008-01-01

Descriptive epidemiologic study that aimed to analyze the typical occupational accidents notified by employees of a university hospital in the South of Brazil from 1997 to 2002, and to estimate their risk indicators. A total of 717 accidents were registered; 86% of them (616) were typical and presented an annual average risk coefficient of 6.0 per 100 employees. The groups that presented more risks for accidents were cooks, woodworkers and nursing auxiliaries, while hands were the most affected area. Regarding the accidents nature, the greatest risks involved biological material. Hence, it is necessary to orient personnel about the legal aspects of occupational accidents and review work processes, especially those related to employees who perform activities at greater risk of transmissible diseases like AIDS and hepatitis B and C.

[Epidemiological profile of 290 cases of human cystic echinococcosis diagnosed in the Mustapha University Hospital (Algiers) from 2006 to 2011].

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Zait, H; Achir, I; Guerchani, M K; Hamrioui, B

2013-10-01

This study reports a series of 290 cases of hydatidosis confirmed by the surgery and/or the imagery with a positive immuno-diagnosis collected between 1st January 2006 and 31 March 2011 at parasitology-mycology laboratory of hospital university center of Mustapha of Algiers. Our aim is to specify, through the listed cases, the epidemiological aspects of this affection and compared with those obtained in two previous Algerian epidemiological investigations carried out, between 1963-1964 and 1966-1975. It is a retrospective (2006-2008) and prospective (2008-2011) study. The parasitological diagnosis was carried out by the direct macroscopic and/or microscopic identification of the parasite and indirect diagnosis based on four techniques: passive hemagglutination, Elisa IgG "Echinococcus granulosus", Western Blot IgG "Echinococcus" and electrophoresis. The study shows that this affection is still prerogative of the young adult. It bring out also in this study that the child of school age (ten years), in particular the boy, pays a heavy tribute. At the child, the preferential pulmonary seat of the hydatic disease is not devoid of risk. At adult, this parasitic disease mainly affect the active woman. Generally, the epidemiological and clinical characteristics join the endemic countries data and confirmed the row of our country among them. The transmission seems as strong as in the past, in spite of a much better social educational level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Mortality among inpatients of a psychiatric hospital: Indian perspective.

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Shinde, Shireesh Shatwaji; Nagarajaiah; Narayanaswamy, Janardhanan C; Viswanath, Biju; Kumar, Naveen C; Gangadhar, B N; Math, Suresh Bada

2014-04-01

The objective of this study is to assess mortality and its correlates among psychiatric inpatients of a tertiary care neuropsychiatric hospital. Given the background that such a study has never been undertaken in India, the findings would have a large bearing on policy making from a mental health-care perspective. The medical records of those psychiatric inpatients (n = 333) who died during their stay at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in past 26 years (January 1983 to December 2008) constituted the study population. During the 26 years, there were a total of 103,252 psychiatric in-patient admissions, out of which 333 people died during their inpatient stay. Majority (n = 135, 44.6%) of the mortality was seen in the age group of 21-40 years. Most of the subjects were males (n = 202, 67%), married (n = 172, 56.8%) and from urban areas (n = 191, 63%). About, 54% of the subjects had short inpatient stay (history of physical illness. Leading cause of death were cardiovascular system disorders (n = 132, 43.6%), followed by respiratory system disorders (n = 45, 14.9%), nervous system disorders (n = 30, 9.9%) and infections (n = 31, 10.1%). In 21 (7%), cause of death was suicide. Identifying the factors associated with the death of inpatients is of utmost importance in assessing the care in a neuropsychiatric hospital and in formulating better treatment plan and policy in mental health. The discussion focuses on the analysis of different factors associated with inpatient mortality.

[The hospital perspective: disease management and integrated health care].

Science.gov (United States)

Schrappe, Matthias

2003-06-01

Disease Management is a transsectoral, population-based form of health care, which addresses groups of patients with particular clinical entities and risk factors. It refers both to an evidence-based knowledge base and corresponding guidelines, evaluates outcome as a continuous quality improvement process and usually includes active participation of patients. In Germany, the implementation of disease management is associated with financial transactions for risk adjustment between health care assurances [para. 137 f, Book V of Social Code (SGB V)] and represents the second kind of transsectoral care, besides a program designed as integrated health care according to para. 140 a ff f of Book V of Social Code. While in the USA and other countries disease management programs are made available by several institutions involved in health care, in Germany these programs are offered by health care insurers. Assessment of disease management from the hospital perspective will have to consider three questions: How large is the risk to compensate inadequate quality in outpatient care? Are there synergies in internal organisational development? Can the risk of inadequate funding of the global "integrated" budget be tolerated? Transsectoral quality assurance by valid performance indicators and implementation of a quality improvement process are essential. Internal organisational changes can be supported, particularly in the case of DRG introduction. The economic risk and financial output depends on the kind of disease being focussed by the disease management program. In assessing the underlying scientific evidence of their cost effectiveness, societal costs will have to be precisely differentiated from hospital-associated costs.

[Impact of the legislation for smoke-free workplaces on respiratory health in hospitality workers--review of epidemiological studies].

Science.gov (United States)

Polańska, Kinga; Hanke, Wojciech; Konieczko, Katarzyna

2011-01-01

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure (ETS) is a significant risk factor for the development of many diseases, including lung cancer, lower respiratory tract infections, asthma and eye, throat and nasal irritations. Hospitality workers form an occupational group with high exposure to ETS in their workplace. Taking into account the health consequences of ETS exposure and high prevalence of exposure in public places, including workplaces, many countries have implemented the smoking ban that prohibits or restricts smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The epidemiological studies have indicated a significant reduction in the exposure level after implementation of the smoking ban. Most studies have also indicated a significant reduction in respiratory and sensory symptoms. The impact of the smoking ban on the lung function measurements is still not clear.

Teaching Epidemiology at the Undergraduate Level: Considerations and Approaches.

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Goldmann, Emily; Stark, James H; Kapadia, Farzana; McQueen, Matthew B

2018-06-01

The rapid growth in undergraduate public health education has offered training in epidemiology to an increasing number of undergraduate students. Epidemiology courses introduce undergraduate students to a population health perspective and provide opportunities for these students to build essential skills and competencies such as ethical reasoning, teamwork, comprehension of scientific methods, critical thinking, quantitative and information literacy, ability to analyze public health information, and effective writing and oral communication. Taking a varied approach and incorporating active learning and assessment strategies can help engage students in the material, improve comprehension of key concepts, and further develop key competencies. In this commentary, we present examples of how epidemiology may be taught in the undergraduate setting. Evaluation of these approaches and others would be a valuable next step.

Surveillance of Candida spp Bloodstream Infections: Epidemiological Trends and Risk Factors of Death in Two Mexican Tertiary Care Hospitals

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Corzo-Leon, Dora E.; Alvarado-Matute, Tito; Colombo, Arnaldo L.; Cornejo-Juarez, Patricia; Cortes, Jorge; Echevarria, Juan I.; Guzman-Blanco, Manuel; Macias, Alejandro E.; Nucci, Marcio; Ostrosky-Zeichner, Luis; Ponce-de-Leon, Alfredo; Queiroz-Telles, Flavio; Santolaya, Maria E.; Thompson-Moya, Luis; Tiraboschi, Iris N.; Zurita, Jeannete; Sifuentes-Osornio, Jose

2014-01-01

Introduction Larger populations at risk, broader use of antibiotics and longer hospital stays have impacted on the incidence of Candida sp. bloodstream infections (CBSI). Objective To determine clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with CBSI in two tertiary care reference medical institutions in Mexico City. Design Prospective and observational laboratory-based surveillance study conducted from 07/2008 to 06/2010. Methods All patients with CBSI were included. Identification and antifungal susceptibility were performed using CLSI M27-A3 standard procedures. Frequencies, Mann-Whitney U test or T test were used as needed. Risk factors were determined with multivariable analysis and binary logistic regression analysis. Results CBSI represented 3.8% of nosocomial bloodstream infections. Cumulative incidence was 2.8 per 1000 discharges (incidence rate: 0.38 per 1000 patient-days). C. albicans was the predominant species (46%), followed by C. tropicalis (26%). C. glabrata was isolated from patients with diabetes (50%), and elderly patients. Sixty-four patients (86%) received antifungals. Amphotericin-B deoxycholate (AmBD) was the most commonly used agent (66%). Overall mortality rate reached 46%, and risk factors for death were APACHE II score ≥16 (OR = 6.94, CI95% = 2.34–20.58, p<0.0001), and liver disease (OR = 186.11, CI95% = 7.61–4550.20, p = 0.001). Full susceptibility to fluconazole, AmBD and echinocandins among C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. parapsilosis was observed. Conclusions The cumulative incidence rate in these centers was higher than other reports from tertiary care hospitals from Latin America. Knowledge of local epidemiologic patterns permits the design of more specific strategies for prevention and preemptive therapy of CBSI. PMID:24830654

Epidemiology and burden of rotavirus-associated hospitalizations in Ferrara, Italy.

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Gabutti, G; Marsella, M; Lazzara, C; Fiumana, E; Cavallaro, A; Borgna-Pignatti, C

2007-03-01

Objective of this study was to provide data on hospitalizations for rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in Ferrara, Italy. The study was conducted analyzing the hospital discharge forms of all children admitted to the Pediatric Department of the University of Ferrara, Arcispedale Sant'Anna, from January 2001 through December 2005. The database was searched for all gastrointestinal diseases and in particular RVGE. During the period under study 3277 children, of which 2038 <60 months of age, were hospitalized; 247 children < 5 years old were admitted for acute gastroenteritis and 89 (4.4% of all and 36% of gastroenteritis-related hospitalizations) had rapid screening tests positive for rotavirus. A seasonal pattern was observed for RVGE with an increase in winter and early spring. The average length of hospital stay was 5.7 days. The median cost of each hospitalized case of RVGE ranged between 1417 and 1595 Euros. The present research confirms that rotavirus gastroenteritis represents an important cause of hospitalization in children and is responsible for significant costs for the Public Health Care System. An effective vaccination program could significantly reduce the incidence of hospitalization and the associated costs.

Current epidemiology of hypertension in Port Harcourt metropolis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Current epidemiology of hypertension in Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State ... the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital formed the cohort for this study. ... is high and only a small fraction of hypertensives are aware of their condition.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome: epidemiology and management approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walkey AJ

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Allan J Walkey,1 Ross Summer,1 Vu Ho,1 Philip Alkana21The Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; 2Asthma Research Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USAAbstract: Acute lung injury and the more severe acute respiratory distress syndrome represent a spectrum of lung disease characterized by the sudden onset of inflammatory pulmonary edema secondary to myriad local or systemic insults. The present article provides a review of current evidence in the epidemiology and treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, with a focus on significant knowledge gaps that may be addressed through epidemiologic methods.Keywords: acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, review, epidemiology

Hospital leadership perspectives on the contributions of Ronald McDonald Houses. Results from an international survey.

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Lantz, Paula M; Rubin, Nicole; Mauery, D Richard

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe an international survey of hospital executives and administrators' perspectives on the contributions of their affiliation with a Ronald McDonald House (RMH) as an example of accommodation in family-centered care to the hospital's mission, operations and patient experience. RMHs worldwide provided the names and e-mail addresses of the people holding key leadership positions in their main hospital partner, who in turn were invited to complete an internet-based survey (530 participants; response rate of 54.5 percent). Hospital leaders reported very positive opinions about the contributions of their RMHs affiliation to their ability to serve seriously ill children and their families. This included such important outcomes as increasing family integrity and family participation in care decisions; and decreasing psychosocial stress and hospital social work resource burdens associated with lodging, food, transportation and sibling support. Hospital chief executive offices (CEOs) and medical directors reported very strong and positive opinions regarding the value-added of their RMHs affiliation in many areas, including enhanced marketing of hospital specialty services and reduced length of stay. Survey response bias is a limitation, although the results are still useful in terms of identifying multiple ways in which RMHs are perceived as contributing to hospitals' operations and provision of family-centered care. Overall, the results suggest that, internationally, hospital leaders believe that RMHs play a key and valued role in their provision of family-centered care to seriously ill children and their families. Family accommodation is more than the simple provision of lodging and plays an integral role how hospitals approach family-centered care. This international study contributes to the general literature on the role of family accommodation in hospitals' provision of family-centered care and the specific and very sparse

Corporate visual identity: a case in hospitals.

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Alkibay, Sanem; Ozdogan, F Bahar; Ermec, Aysegul

2007-01-01

This paper aims to present a perspective to better understand corporate identity through examining the perceptions of Turkish patients and develop a corporate visual identity scale. While there is no study related to corporate identity research on hospitals in Turkey as a developing country, understanding consumer's perceptions about corporate identity efforts of hospitals could provide different perspectives for recruiters. When the hospitals are considered in two different groups as university and state hospitals, the priority of the characteristics of corporate visual identity may change, whereas the top five characteristics remain the same for all the hospitals.

Comparing the perspectives of managers and employees of teaching hospitals about job motivation.

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Mohebbifar, Rafat; Zakaria Kiaei, Mohammad; Khosravizadeh, Omid; Mohseni, Mohammad

2014-07-15

Recognition of career motivators and understanding of managers and employees in prioritizing them, in order to plan incentives for this understanding, can play an important role in increasing productivity and creating harmony between the goals of the organization and staff. This study was done to survey the importance of career motivating factors from perspective of employees and managers in educational hospitals of Iran. In this study 269 from a total of 1843 employees of educational hospitals in Qazvin province of Iran were selected through Quota-Random sampling and studied along with all 49 Managers. Lawrence Lindale questionnaire with 10 factors where used in order to determine motivational priorities. The results indicated that among the 10 studied motivational factors, from employees' viewpoint; "Good wages", "Good Working Conditions" and "Job Security" have the greatest roles in motivating employees. In the context of perspective agreement amongst employees and managers, the results showed 20 percent agreement. In this study, results of "Independent T" test showed a significant difference in comparison, between prioritizing employees' view and prediction of managers in the factors of "Job Security" (p = 0/031) and "Interesting Work" (p = 0/001). With respect to increase disagreement in the views of managers and employees as compared to previous studies, Managers need to pay more attention to cognition of motivational factors and make their viewpoints closer to actual motivational need of their employees. Attention to this fact can be a great help to the growth and productivity of the organization, making the organizational and individual goals closer and also keeping managers safe from execution of constant and undue motivational patterns.

An Epidemiological Perspective on the Cause of Running Injuries.

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Powell, Kenneth E.; And Others

1986-01-01

Case reports do not consider the population which is injured and therefore are inappropriate for finding causal relationships. A review of three epidemiological studies, which take the population into account, showed that the only reasonably well-established cause of running injuries is the number of miles run per week. (Author/MT)

[Epidemiological data for uterine fibroids in France in 2010-2012 in medical center--analysis from the French DRG-based information system (PMSI)].

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Fernandez, H; Chabbert-Buffet, N; Koskas, M; Nazac, A

2014-10-01

Uterine fibroids are a common disorder, responsible for menorrhagia/metrorrhagia and pelvic pain and remain the leading reason for hysterectomy in France. Although it is common disorder, French epidemiological data are locking. The objective of this study was to realize an epidemiological analysis from the medicalized information system program (PMSI). The diagnosis codes were selected from 10th version of the International Classification Disease. The medical procedures concerning uterine fibroids were selected (so called: procedures listed). A descriptive analysis was performed from hospitals stays, patients' characteristics and medical procedures (mean, standard distribution, median, range, quartile). In 2012, 46,126 patients (median age: 46 years old) were admitted in hospital (public or private hospitals) due to uterine fibroid corresponding to 47,690 hospital stays (hospital stays for surgery: 32,397). Diagnosis of anemia was reported in approximately 8% of patients and 7.1% of patients hospitalized in 2012 had already been hospitalized between 2004-2012. The median length of hospital stay was 4 days. In 2012, 16,070 hospital stays were reported for total or subtotal hysterectomy, 16,384 hospitals stays for myomectomy and 1376 hospital stays for embolization. In terms of management care, among 46,126 patients with uterine fibroids (principal or related diagnosis), 31,846 patients received a procedure listed in a surgical diagnostic related groups (DRG). To conclude, the study permits to update the epidemiological data concerning uterine fibroid management between 2010-2011-2012 in final. Because the PMSI collects partially information regarding epidemiological data, a clear epidemiological study is needed either with database from health insurance or with dedicated study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

"I have nine specialists. They need to swap notes!" Australian patients' perspectives of medication-related problems following discharge from hospital.

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Eassey, Daniela; McLachlan, Andrew J; Brien, Jo-Anne; Krass, Ines; Smith, Lorraine

2017-10-01

Research has shown that patients are most susceptible to medication-related problems (MRPs) when transitioning from hospital to home. Currently, the literature in this area focuses on interventions, which are mainly orientated around the perspective of the health-care professional and do not take into account patient perspectives and experiences. To capture the experiences and perceptions of Australian patients regarding MRPs following discharge from hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Thematic analysis was conducted of the qualitative data. Survey participants were recruited through The Digital Edge, an online market research company. Five hundred and six participants completed the survey. A total of 174 participants self-reported MRPs. Two concepts and seven subthemes emerged from the analysis. The first concept was types of MRPs and patient experiences. Three themes were identified: unwanted effects from medicines, confusion about medicines and unrecognized medicines. The second concept was patient engagement in medication management, of which four themes emerged: informing patients, patient engagement, communication amongst health-care professionals and conflicting advice. This study provides an important insight into patients' experiences and perceptions of MRPs following discharge from hospital. Future direction for practice and research should look into implementing patient-centred care at the time of hospital discharge to ensure the provision of clear and consistent information, and developing ways to support and empower patients to ensure a smooth transition post-discharge from hospital. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In a niche of time: do specialty hospitals outperform general services hospitals?

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Poole, LeJon; Davis, Jullet A; Gunby, Norris W

2013-01-01

Niche hospitals represent a growing segment in the health care industry. Niche facilities are primarily engaged in the treatment of cardiac or orthopedic conditions. The effectiveness of this strategy is of interest because niche hospitals focus on only the most profitable services. The purpose of this research was to assess the financial effectiveness of the niche strategy. We theorize that firm and market-level factors concomitantly with the strategy of the hospital-niche versus traditional-are associated with financial performance. This research used 2 data sources, the 2003 Medicare Cost Report and the 2003 Area Resource File. The sample was limited to only for-profit, urban, nongovernmental hospitals (n = 995). The data were analyzed using hierarchical least squares regression. Financial performance was operationalized using the hospital's return on assets. The principal finding of this project is that niche hospitals had significantly higher performance than traditional facilities. From the organizational perspective, the niche strategy leads to better financial performance. From a societal perspective, the niche strategy provides increased focus and efficiencies through repetition. Despite the limited focus of this strategy, patients who can access these providers may experience better outcomes than patients in more traditional hospitals.

Providing quality nutrition care in acute care hospitals: perspectives of nutrition care personnel.

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Keller, H H; Vesnaver, E; Davidson, B; Allard, J; Laporte, M; Bernier, P; Payette, H; Jeejeebhoy, K; Duerksen, D; Gramlich, L

2014-04-01

Malnutrition is common in acute care hospitals worldwide and nutritional status can deteriorate during hospitalisation. The aim of the present qualitative study was to identify enablers and challenges and, specifically, the activities, processes and resources, from the perspective of nutrition care personnel, required to provide quality nutrition care. Eight hospitals participating in the Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals study provided focus group data (n = 8 focus groups; 91 participants; dietitians, dietetic interns, diet technicians and menu clerks), which were analysed thematically. Five themes emerged from the data: (i) developing a nutrition culture, where nutrition practice is considered important to recovery of patients and teams work together to achieve nutrition goals; (ii) using effective tools, such as screening, evidence-based protocols, quality, timely and accurate patient information, and appropriate and quality food; (iii) creating effective systems to support delivery of care, such as communications, food production and delivery; (iv) being responsive to care needs, via flexible food systems, appropriate menus and meal supplements, up to date clinical care and including patient and family in the care processes; and (v) uniting the right person with the right task, by delineating roles, training staff, providing sufficient time to undertake these important tasks and holding staff accountable for their care. The findings of the present study are consistent with other work and provide guidance towards improving the nutrition culture in hospitals. Further empirical work on how to support successful implementation of nutrition care processes is needed. © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Epidemiological Pattern and Management of Pediatric Asthma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EL-HAKIM

Egypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2008; 6(2): 51-56. 51. Epidemiological Pattern and Management of Pediatric Asthma. Review of Ain Shams Pediatric Hospital Chest Clinic Data. Cairo, Egypt 1995-2004. INTRODUCTION. Bronchial asthma is a major worldwide health problem, which has received increased attention in.

Thyroid disorders in India: An epidemiological perspective

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Ambika Gopalakrishnan Unnikrishnan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Thyroid diseases are common worldwide. In India too, there is a significant burden of thyroid diseases. According to a projection from various studies on thyroid disease, it has been estimated that about 42 million people in India suffer from thyroid diseases. This review will focus on the epidemiology of five common thyroid diseases in India: (1 hypothyroidism, (2 hyperthyroidism, (3 goiter and iodine deficiency disorders, (4 Hashimoto′s thyroiditis, and (5 thyroid cancer. This review will also briefly cover the exciting work that is in progress to ascertain the normal reference range of thyroid hormones in India, especially in pregnancy and children.

Burden of Clostridium difficile Infections in French Hospitals in 2014 From the National Health Insurance Perspective.

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Leblanc, Soline; Blein, Cécile; Andremont, Antoine; Bandinelli, Pierre-Alain; Galvain, Thibaut

2017-08-01

OBJECTIVE To describe the hospital stays of patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and to measure the hospitalization costs of CDI (as primary and secondary diagnoses) from the French national health insurance perspective DESIGN Burden of illness study SETTING All acute-care hospitals in France METHODS Data were extracted from the French national hospitalization database (PMSI) for patients covered by the national health insurance scheme in 2014. Hospitalizations were selected using the International Classification of Diseases, 10 th revision (ICD-10) code for CDI. Hospital stays with CDI as the primary diagnosis or the secondary diagnosis (comorbidity) were studied for the following parameters: patient sociodemographic characteristics, mortality, length of stay (LOS), and related costs. A retrospective case-control analysis was performed on stays with CDI as the secondary diagnosis to assess the impact of CDI on the LOS and costs. RESULTS Overall, 5,834 hospital stays with CDI as the primary diagnosis were included in this study. The total national insurance costs were €30.7 million (US $33,677,439), and the mean cost per hospital stay was €5,267±€3,645 (US $5,777±$3,998). In total, 10,265 stays were reported with CDI as the secondary diagnosis. The total national insurance additional costs attributable to CDI were estimated to be €85 million (US $93,243,725), and the mean additional cost attributable to CDI per hospital stay was €8,295±€17,163, median, €4,797 (US $9,099±$8,827; median, $5,262). CONCLUSION CDI has a high clinical and economic burden in the hospital, and it represents a major cost for national health insurance. When detected as a comorbidity, CDI was significantly associated with increased LOS and economic burden. Preventive approaches should be implemented to avoid CDIs. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:906-911.

Epidemiology of Multiresistant Acinetobacter Infections in Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savov, E.; Borisova, M.; Michailova, G.

2007-01-01

Evolution of bacteria towards resistance to antimicrobial drugs, including these with multidrug resistance, is very important issue for hospital epidemiology in all over the world. There are many papers about an increasing number of Acinetobacter baumannii blood stream and other type of infections in patients at military medical facilities in the Iraq / Kuwait region and in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom /OEF /. It has now become also a one of the major cause of hospital acquired infections in Bulgaria which due to its remarkable propensity to rapidly acquire resistance determinants to a wide range of antimicrobial drugs. According to the data obtained in Bulgaria, it can be concluded that the majority of the A.baumannii isolates was strikingly resistant, including the 3rd generation of cephalosporins, quinolones and also carbapenems, in the last years. Different methods / phenotypical and molecular methods, including PCR/ for a multidrug A.baumannii investigation and its clonality determination are needed, especially when the strains are not epidemiological related.(author)

Hospital-based ocular emergencies: epidemiology, treatment, and visual outcomes.

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Cheung, Cindy A; Rogers-Martel, Melanie; Golas, Liliya; Chepurny, Anna; Martel, James B; Martel, Joseph R

2014-03-01

Ocular trauma is recognized as the leading cause of unilateral blindness. However, few studies to date have focused on the clinical features of hospital-based ocular emergencies. Effectiveness of trauma centers in treating ocular emergencies was compared with treatment in traditional community hospital emergency departments. Demographics, causes, and nature of ocular emergencies, as well as visual outcome in community hospitals emergency departments and trauma centers, were also examined. Records of 1027 patients with ocular emergencies seen between July 2007 and November 2010 at 3 community hospitals emergency departments and 2 hospitals with level II trauma centers were retrospectively examined. Unpaired t test and Pearson χ(2) test were used to determine statistical significance. The incidence of patients requiring ophthalmic intervention was 77.2 per 100 000 in the community hospitals and 208.9 per 100 000 in the trauma centers. Rates of ocular emergencies were higher in middle-aged, white men. Orbital fractures were found in 86% of all orbital contusion cases in trauma centers, whereas 66.7% of patients with fall injuries and open globe diagnoses resulted in legal blindness. The middle-aged, white men are more vulnerable to ocular injuries caused mainly by motor vehicle accidents. The ability of trauma centers to provide comparable increases in vision outcomes, despite treating more severe ocular emergencies, demonstrates the effectiveness of trauma centers. Patients diagnosed as having orbital contusions or who have fall injuries deserve careful evaluation because they are more likely to have more severe sight-threatening injuries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Economic costs of hospitalized diarrheal disease in Bangladesh: a societal perspective.

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Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Ali, Nausad; Huda, Tanvir M; Salim Uzzaman, M; Haider, Sabbir; Rahman, Hafizur; Islam, Ziaul; Khan, Jahangir A M; Van Der Meer, Robert; Morton, Alec

2018-01-01

Diarrheal diseases are a major threat to human health and still represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the burden of the diarrheal diseases is much lower in developed countries, it is a significant public health problem in low and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. Though diarrhea is preventable and managed with low-cost interventions, it is still the leading cause of morbidity according to the patient who sought care from public hospitals in Bangladesh indicating that significant resources are consumed in treating those patients. The aim of the study is to capture the inpatients and outpatient treatment cost of diarrheal disease and to measure the cost burden and coping mechanisms associated with diarrheal illness. This study was conducted in six randomly selected district hospitals from six divisions (larger administrative units) in Bangladesh. The study was performed from the societal perspective which means all types of costs were identified, measured and valued no matter who incurred them. Cost analysis was estimated using the guideline proposed by the World Health Organization for estimating the economic burden of diarrheal diseases. The study adopted quantitative techniques to collect the household and hospital level data including structured and semi-structured questionnaires, observation checklists, analysis of hospital database, telephone interviews and compilation of service statistics. The average total societal cost of illness per episode was BDT 5274.02 (US $ 67.18) whereas the average inpatient and outpatient costs were BDT 8675.09 (US $ 110.51) and BDT 1853.96 (US $ 23.62) respectively. The cost burden was significantly highest for poorest households, 21.45% of household income, compared to 4.21% of the richest quintile. Diarrheal diseases continue to be an overwhelming problem in Bangladesh. The economic impact of any public health interventions (either preventive or promotive) that can reduce the prevalence

Epidemiologic study of patients with DVT in Birjand Vali-e-asr hospital- (2009-2014: Short Communication

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Toba Kazemi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT is a condition that, in case of delay in diagnosis and treatment, can lead to serious complications like pulmonary embolism. Given the importance of assessment and identification of diseases in every community, the current study aimed at assessing the epidemiology of DVT patients in Birjand. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was conducted on all DVT patients admitted to Birjand Vali-e-asr hospital between 2009 and 2014. A trained medical student completed each researcher-designed questionnaire. based on an intern’s history recording, a physician's orders ,and a nurse’s note. Then, the patients were called up demanding the status of the patient and disease complications, readmission ,or death. Finally, the obtained data was encoded and analyzed by SPSS(V: 18 at the significant level P<0.05. Results: During the study period,263 patients with DVThad been hospitalized in Birjand Vali-e-asr hospital .Out of the patients, 50.2% were males. Mean age of the subjects was 55.84 ± 18.45 years. In 98.1% of the cases the lower extremity was involved. The most prevalent risk factor was immobilization and the least risk factor was family history of DVT. Regarding the relationship between DVT risk factors and sex only smoking cigarettes was both significant and more prevalent. During 5 years, 3.8% of the population had died due to DVT complications. Recurrent DVT in 6% and pulmonary emboli in 3.4% of the patients were diagnosed. Conclusion: Given that the most common risk factor for DVT in our study was immobilization, prophylaxis is necessary in patients at high risk tin order to decrease occurrence possibility of DVT.

Molecular Identification and Epidemiological Features of Human Adenoviruses Associated with Acute Respiratory Infections in Hospitalized Children in Southern China, 2012-2013.

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Chen, Yi; Liu, Fanghua; Wang, Changbing; Zhao, Mingqi; Deng, Li; Zhong, Jiayu; Zhang, Yingying; Ye, Jun; Jing, Shuping; Cheng, Zetao; Guan, Yongxin; Ma, Yi; Sun, Yuanyuan; Zhu, Bing; Zhang, Qiwei

2016-01-01

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the major worldwide health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Human adenovirus (HAdV) is one of the most common pathogens associated with viral ARI, and thus calls for specific diagnosis and better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical characteristics. Total 4,130 children with ARI requiring hospitalization from 2012 to 2013 were retrospectively studied. Throat swab specimens were collected from each patient. Fluorescence Quantitative PCR was performed to detect adenovirus as well as other common ARI-related pathogens. The seven HAdV hypervariable regions (HVRs) of the hexon gene from fifty-seven HAdVs-positive samples collected in the seasonal peaks were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of HVRs was also conducted to confirm the molecular types and genetic variation. In addition, epidemiological features and co-infection with other human respiratory pathogens were investigated and analyzed. Of 4,130 hospitalized pediatric patients tested, the positive rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), and HAdV were 13.7%, 13.2%, and 12.0%, respectively. The HAdV positive patients accounted for 7.9%, 17.2%, 17.5% and 10.7% in age groups infected with other respiratory pathogens (84/495, 17.0%). The most common co-infection pathogens with HAdV were MP (57.1%) and Human Bocavirus (HBoV) (16.7%). The majority of HAdV infected patients were totally recovered (96.9%, 480/495); However, four (0.8%) patients, who were previously healthy and at the age of 2 years or younger died of pneumonia. Seasonal peaks of HAdV infection occurred in the summer season of 2012 and 2013; the predominant HAdV type was HAdV-3 (70%), followed by HAdV-7 (28%). These epidemiological features were different from those in Northern China. The HAdV-55 was identified and reported for the first time in Guangzhou metropolitan area. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the HVR sequences of the hexon gene

Mental health nurses' perspective of workplace violence in Jordanian mental health hospitals.

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Al-Azzam, Manar; Al-Sagarat, Ahmad Yahya; Tawalbeh, Loai; Poedel, Robin J

2017-10-27

The purpose was to assess the mental health nurses' perspectives of workplace violence in mental health departments in Jordan. A cross-sectional correlation study was utilized to address the study's purposes. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from nurses working in governmental mental health departments in Jordan. The findings indicated that 80% of the respondents were victims of at least one violent act in the last 2 years. Verbal abuse was the most indicated type of violence. Patients were considered the main source of violence. Policies and legislations addressing workplace violence should be implemented, and nurses should be trained on using such policies. Hospital managers should create a safe work environment by enforcing effective security measures and maintaining adequate staffing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Epidemiological studies on syncope

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruwald, Martin Huth

2013-01-01

of the patients play an essential role. In epidemiology these factors have major impact on the outcome of the patients. Until recently, even the definition of syncope differed from one study to another which has made literature reviews difficult. Traditionally the data on epidemiology of syncope has been taken...... from smaller studies from different clinical settings with wide differences in patient morbidity. Through the extensive Danish registries we examined the characteristics and prognosis of the patients hospitalized due to syncope in a nationwide study. The aims of the present thesis were to investigate......, prevalence and cardiovascular factors associated with the risk of syncope, 4) the prognosis in healthy individuals discharged after syncope, and 5) the prognosis of patients after syncope and evaluation of the CHADS2 score as a tool for short- and long-term risk prediction. The first studies of the present...

Epidemiological profile of patients seen in the pre-anesthetic assessment clinic of a university hospital

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Monica Loureiro Santos

Full Text Available Abstract Objective Assess the demographic and clinical characteristics of surgical patients seen in the Pre-anesthetic Assessment Clinic of the Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle (APA/HUGG, in order to assist in the pursuit for quality, effectiveness, and resource rationalization of hospital management. Method Cross-sectional descriptive study with 491 patients undergoing elective surgery, treated at APA/HUGG Clinic from March to December 2014. The following variables were assessed: sex, age, BMI, smoking status, associated diseases, classification of MET's and ASA, presence of decompensated disease, medical associated appointments interconsultation, specialty and surgical risk, history of prior anesthetic-surgical procedure, and complications. Results There was a predominance of female (64.8% and overweight patients (55.9%, aged 18-59 years. The prevalence of associated diseases was high (71.3%, with hypertension pressure prevailing (50.1%. Most patients had clinically compensated morbidity (96.3% and long-term use of medication (77.4%. Regarding the surgical characteristics, the most frequent specialty was general and medium risk surgeries. The analysis of the characteristics by age showed that the elderly have more associated diseases and long-term use of medication, in addition to predominance of ASA II-III. Conclusion The epidemiological profile of surgical patients seen at the APA/HUGG was female, age 18-59 years, overweight, with associated diseases, long-term use of medication, without clinical decompensation, ASA II and MET's ≥4. Knowledge of the clinical characteristics of surgical patients is critical to schedule the perioperative care, allowing the improvement of quality and safety in anesthesia and surgery.

Has epidemiology become infatuated with methods? A historical perspective on the place of methods during the classical (1945-1965) phase of epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Morabia, Alfredo

2015-03-18

Before World War II, epidemiology was a small discipline, practiced by a handful of people working mostly in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Today it is practiced by tens of thousands of people on all continents. Between 1945 and 1965, during what is known as its "classical" phase, epidemiology became recognized as a major academic discipline in medicine and public health. On the basis of a review of the historical evidence, this article examines to which extent classical epidemiology has been a golden age of an action-driven, problem-solving science, in which epidemiologists were less concerned with the sophistication of their methods than with the societal consequences of their work. It also discusses whether the paucity of methods stymied or boosted classical epidemiology's ability to convince political and financial agencies about the need to intervene in order to improve the health of the people.

Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection hospitalizations among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected South African children, 2010-2011.

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Moyes, Jocelyn; Cohen, Cheryl; Pretorius, Marthi; Groome, Michelle; von Gottberg, Anne; Wolter, Nicole; Walaza, Sibongile; Haffejee, Sumayya; Chhagan, Meera; Naby, Fathima; Cohen, Adam L; Tempia, Stefano; Kahn, Kathleen; Dawood, Halima; Venter, Marietjie; Madhi, Shabir A

2013-12-15

There are limited data on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children in settings with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We studied the epidemiology of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) hospitalizations among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children in South Africa. Children aged infection among HIV-infected and uninfected children were examined. The relative risk of hospitalization in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children was calculated in 1 site with population denominators. Of 4489 participants, 4293 (96%) were tested for RSV, of whom 1157 (27%) tested positive. With adjustment for age, HIV-infected children had a 3-5-fold increased risk of hospitalization with RSV-associated ALRTI (2010 relative risk, 5.6; [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.5-6.4]; 2011 relative risk, 3.1 [95% CI, 2.6-3.6]). On multivariable analysis, HIV-infected children with RSV-associated ALRTI had higher odds of death (adjusted odds ratio. 31.1; 95% CI, 5.4-179.8) and hospitalization for >5 days (adjusted odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.5-10.6) than HIV-uninfected children. HIV-infected children have a higher risk of hospitalization with RSV-associated ALRTI and a poorer outcome than HIV-uninfected children. These children should be targeted for interventions aimed at preventing severe RSV disease.

Epidemiología de la encefalopatía neonatal en un hospital de tercer nivel en Cuba Epidemiology of neonatal encephalopathy in a tertiary level hospital in Cuba

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Gerardo Rogelio Robaina Castellanos

2013-03-01

retrospective analytical study was carried out in 35 neonates suffering neonatal encephalopathy from a cohort of 19 577 neonates born at the provincial gynecological and obstetric hospital in Matanzas in the period of 2005 to 2011. A case-control study was conducted to determine the risk factors, on the basis of a bivariate analysis, with a case-control ration of 1:3. Results: the incidence of the neonatal encephalopathy was 1.78 per 1 000 livebirths. Neonatal encephalopathy after asphyxia was seen in 48.5% of cases. Maternal hypertension during pregnancy, maternal history of chronic hypertension, rural origin of the mother and the male sex were the antenatal risk factors found. On the other hand, the intranatal risk factors were severe distress at birth, circular tightening around the neck, premature rupture of membranes, clinical chorioamnionitis, placenta previa, unquiet fetal state and meconial amniotic fluid. Conclusions: the perinatal and some antenatal risk factors are significant in the studied population from an epidemiological viewpoint.

[Competition between hospitals--from a legal perspective].

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Bohle, Thomas

2009-01-01

Competition between hospitals exists in many different fields. In legal terms this competition is shaped by disputes over the status of "hospitals forming part of the Hospital Plan" (Plankrankenhaus). The German Federal Constitutional Court's ruling of January 14, 2004 granted hospital authorities the right of action for unfair competition. According to the Federal Administrative Court's ruling of September 25, 2008, however, third-party protection is limited to cases where the hospital filing the suit has itself unsuccessfully applied for inclusion in the state-level hospitals plan for the market segment served by the accepted hospital. In contrast, action that merely challenges an unfair preference of a competitor will remain inadmissible. Third-party protection between hospitals is also under way in the field of "Integrated Healthcare" (Integrierte Versorgung) (Sect. 140a et seqq. Book V of the German Social Security Code-SGB V): in the case of ECJ C-300/07 on December 16, 2008 (Oymanns/AOK Rheinland & Hamburg) the Advocate General in his final submissions not only expressed the opinion that the statutory health insurance funds are contract-placing authorities, but also argued that integration contracts are public orders. If the European Court of Justice (ECJ) takes the Advocate General's view, future integration contracts will become subject to the regulations governing public orders and thus also subject to the relevant verification procedure.

An outbreak of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in an Iranian referral hospital: epidemiology and molecular typing.

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Mahmoudi, Shima; Pourakbari, Babak; Rahbarimanesh, Aliakbar; Abdolsalehi, Mohammad Reza; Ghadiri, Keyghobad; Mamishi, Setareh

2018-05-07

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common cause of nosocomial infections; however, there is limited information in Iran regarding nosocomial outbreaks due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing K pneumoniae strains, particularly using molecular methods. The present study focused on the molecular mechanism of ESBL resistance and genetic relatedness in K. pneumoniae isolates causing nosocomial infections in an Iranian referral hospital. This study was evaluated the antimicrobial resistance and molecular epidemiology of K. pneumoniae causing nosocomial infections between October 2013 and March 2014. The ESBL detection was carried out for all the isolates by the CLSI method and PCR was carried out for the detection of the blaSHV, blaTEM, and blaCTX-M genes among ESBL-producing K. pneumonia. Molecular typing of the K. pneumoniae was performed using random amplification of polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). A total of 30 isolates of K. pneumoniae were used for epidemiological analysis. High rates of resistance to cefotaxime (n=29, 97%), cefazolin (n=29, 97%), cefepime (n=25, 83%) and gentamicin (n=23, 77%) were observed. A total of 29 strains (97%) produced ESBLs. The frequency of blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaTEM genes among these isolates were 83% (n=25), 70% (n=21) and 57% (n=17), respectively. Surprisingly 11 isolated (37%) carried blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaTEM genes simultaneously. Moreover, the concurrent presence of "blaSHV and blaCTX-M" and "blaSHV and blaTEM" was seen in 8 (27%) and 4 (13%) isolates, respectively. RAPD-PCR analyses revealed that K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to 2 RAPD-PCR types among which one cluster counted for 28 isolates. To our knowledge this is the first published report of nosocomial outbreak of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae in children in Iran. Although the epidemiology of nosocomial infections with ESBL-producing organisms has not yet been explored in depth in Iran, our findings suggest that ESBL-producing organisms are

Nosocomial klebsiella infection in neonates in a tertiary care hospital: Protein profile by SDS-page and klebocin typing as epidemiological markers

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Malik A

2003-01-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To find out the prevalence of Klebsiella in hospital acquired neonatal infections in a tertiary care set up and to evaluate the role of klebocin typing and protein profile by SDS-PAGE in epidemiological typing of the isolates. METHODS: Hospital born neonates transferred to the neonatal unit after birth and available in the unit 48 hours later comprised the study group. Two hundred and three neonates were found eligible for inclusion in the study. Repeated blood cultures, other relevant clinical specimens and environmental samples were collected and identified according to the standard techniques. Isolated clinical and environmental Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were subjected to klebocin typing and protein profiling by SDS-PAGE at regular intervals. RESULTS: Multi drug resistant K. pneumoniae were the commonest organism isolated in 30 neonates leading to the incidence of Klebsiella nosocomial infection to be 14.7%. Klebocin typing of the K. pneumoniae isolates showed four patterns with type 312 being the commonest (43.4%. Whole cell protein analysis by SDS-PAGE of K. pneumoniae isolates revealed four types of banding pattern. Analysis of the typing method showed that the typeability and reproducibility of klebocin was 83.3% and 73.3% respectively whereas typeability and reproducibility of SDS-PAGE was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the present study it is concluded that SDS-PAGE typing method is better than klebocin typing in neonatal nosocomial infection. It is also suggested that protein profile by SDS-PAGE may be used as a tool for epidemiological typing of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in laboratories where genomic based molecular typing technique is not available.

Candidemia in a major regional tertiary referral hospital – epidemiology, practice patterns and outcomes

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Jocelyn Qi-Min Teo

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Candidemia is a common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to describe the epidemiology, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility patterns and outcomes of candidemia in a large regional tertiary referral hospital. Methods A retrospective surveillance study of patients with candidemia was conducted at Singapore General Hospital between July 2012 and December 2015. In addition, incidence densities and species distribution of candidemia episodes were analysed from 2008 to 2015. Results In the period of 2012 to 2015, 261 candidemia episodes were identified. The overall incidence was 0.14/1000 inpatient-days. C. glabrata (31.4%, C. tropicalis (29.9%, and C. albicans (23.8% were most commonly isolated. The incidence of C. glabrata significantly increased from 2008 to 2015 (Coefficient 0.004, confidence interval 0–0.007, p = 0.04. Fluconazole resistance was detected primarily in C. tropicalis (16.7% and C. glabrata (7.2%. fks mutations were identified in one C. albicans and one C. tropicalis. Candidemia episodes caused by C. tropicalis were more commonly encountered in patients with haematological malignancies (p = 0.01, neutropenia (p < 0.001 and higher SAPS II scores (p = 0.02, while prior exposure to echinocandins was associated with isolation of C. parapsilosis (p = 0.001. Echinocandins (73.3% were most commonly prescribed as initial treatment. The median (range time to initial treatment was 1 (0–9 days. The 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was 49.8%. High SAPS II score (Odds ratio, OR 1.08; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.05–1.11 and renal replacement therapy (OR 5.54; CI 2.80–10.97 were independent predictors of mortality, while drain placement (OR 0.44; CI 0.19–0.99 was protective. Conclusions Decreasing azole susceptibilities to C. tropicalis and the emergence of echinocandin resistance suggest that susceptibility

Epidemiological and socio-cultural study of burn patients in M. Y. Hospital, Indore, India

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Jaiswal Ashish

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Developing countries have a high incidence of burn injuries, creating a formidable public health problem. The exact number of cases is difficult to determine: however in a country like India, with a population of over 1 billion, we would estimate 700,000 to 800,000 burn admissions annually. Objective: The study was done to investigate the epidemiology of various causations and their outcomes in terms of morbidity and mortality. Also, the effect of social stigma and cultural issues associated with burns on the victim and his family was assessed. Materials and Methods: All burn cases (n=412 admitted to the burns unit of M. Y. Hospital, Indore over a period of one year (2005-2006 were investigated. The data regarding sex, age predisposition, geographical origin, mode and nature of injury were obtained by questionnaire-interview with the patient themselves. Clinical assessment was done in the form of depth and extent of injury and complications. In case of mortality, again various factors like age, sex and cause of death were analyzed. The data was analyzed by SPSS 11.0 version. The interrelationship between various factors was studied using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Burns were found more commonly in middle-aged groups. The incidence was more in females as an absolute number (70.3% as well as when stratified by age. Most burns were domestic, with cooking being the most prevalent activity. Flame (80.3% was the most common agent. Most of the cases of burn were accidental (67.7%. Moreover, the patients had third degree burn that leads to more mortality in our circumstances. Death occurred in more than one-half (62.3% of cases with septicaemia and disseminated intravascular coagulation (35.4% as the leading causes. When using logistic regression analysis, the outcome of the burn injury was significantly associated with degree, depth, extent and mode of injury. Conclusion: This series provides an overview of the most

Effects of a catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention campaign on infection rate, catheter utilization, and health care workers' perspective at a community safety net hospital.

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Gray, Dorinne; Nussle, Richard; Cruz, Abner; Kane, Gail; Toomey, Michael; Bay, Curtis; Ostovar, Gholamabbas Amin

2016-01-01

Preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections is in the forefront of health care quality. However, nurse and physician engagement is a common barrier in infection prevention efforts. After implementation of a multidisciplinary catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention campaign, we studied the impact of our campaign and showed its association with reducing the CAUTI rate and catheter utilization and the positive effect on health care workers' engagement and perspectives. CAUTI prevention campaigns can lead to lower infection rates and change health care workers' perspective. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ebola outbreak in Conakry, Guinea: Epidemiological, clinical, and outcome features

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Barry, M; Traoré, F A; Sako, F B; Kpamy, D O; Bah, E I; Poncin, M; Keita, S; Cisse, M; Touré, A

2014-01-01

The authors studied the epidemiological, clinical, and outcome features of the Ebola virus disease in patients hospitalized at the Ebola treatment center (ETC) in Conakry to identify clinical factors associated with death.

Sociodemographic profile and hospitalization process of elderly assisted at a emergency hospital

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Maria Luciene Nobre Coutinho

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: to investigate the sociodemographic profile and the process of hospitalization of elderly assisted in an emergency hospital. Methods: descriptive epidemiological study conducted at an emergency hospital with 300 elderly patients using a form with hospitalization process and sociodemographic variables. Results: there was a predominance of females (56.0%, between 80 and 89 years old (45.4%, illiterate or with elementary education (86.7%, married or living in stable union (42.6%, with non-communicable chronic disease (54.7% and regular use of medications. The main reason for hospitalization was fall (54.7% at home and in the morning hours (42.4%, with admission in the afternoon, transported by ambulance. Conclusion: the findings contribute to the development of strategies directed to assist and care of the healthy elderly and in vulnerable situations.

Social epidemiology and political economy: ICU as point of convergence

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Segura, Omar

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Questions around epidemiology, economics and critical care are often in the mind of almost any healthcare professional. However, it is seldom realized that epidemiology and economy may converge -in spite of being apparently separated fields of study- in order to explain the present situation or future trends of a hospital or public health service. This essay briefly depicts how social epidemiology and political economy have developed and how both academic activities may find a common ground about the Intensive Care Unit (ICU, particularly to pose questions, to create possible research lines and feasible alternatives towards more efficient, effective and humane health services.

Validity of a hospital-based obstetric register using medical records as reference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brixval, Carina Sjöberg; Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Johansen, Nanna Roed

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Data from hospital-based registers and medical records offer valuable sources of information for clinical and epidemiological research purposes. However, conducting high-quality epidemiological research requires valid and complete data sources. OBJECTIVE: To assess completeness...... and validity of a hospital-based clinical register - the Obstetric Database - using a national register and medical records as references. METHODS: We assessed completeness of a hospital-based clinical register - the Obstetric Database - by linking data from all women registered in the Obstetric Database...... Database therefore offers a valuable source for examining clinical, administrative, and research questions....

Hospitality Management: Perspectives from Industry Advisor

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Rachel Roginsky

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In prior quarterly reports, Pinnacle Advisory Group presented timely updates about the New England lodging industry, which included focused profiles on particular cities. In this issue, the firm offers more general insight about the hospitality industry. Several Pinnacle executives recently participated in a panel discussion about investment, management, and careers in the hospitality industry.

Epidemiological aspects of suicide attempts among Moroccan children

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Descriptive retrospective study over a period of 3 years (April 2012-April 2015) involving children who visited pediatric medical emergencies of the Children Hospital of Rabat after an autolysis attempt. We observed epidemiological parameters, history, social and family context, the means used, the presumed cause, clinical ...

Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile Infection

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DePestel, Daryl D.; Aronoff, David M.

2014-01-01

There has been dramatic change in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) since the turn of the 21st Century noted by a marked increase in incidence and severity, occurring at a disproportionately higher frequency in older patients. Historically considered a nosocomial infection associated with antibiotic exposure, CDI has now also emerged in the community in populations previously considered low risk. Emerging risk factors and disease recurrence represent continued challenges in the management of CDI. The increased incidence and severity associated with CDI has coincided with the emergence and rapid spread of a previously rare strain, ribotype 027. Recent data from the U.S. and Europe suggest the incidence of CDI may have reached a crescendo in recent years and is perhaps beginning to plateau. The acute-care direct costs of CDI were estimated to be $4.8 billion in 2008. However, nearly all the published studies have focused on CDI diagnosed and treated in acute-care hospital setting and fail to measure the burden outside the hospital, including recently discharged patients, outpatients, and those in long-term care facilities. Enhanced surveillance methods are needed to monitor the incidence, identify populations at risk, and characterize the molecular epidemiology of strains causing CDI. PMID:24064435

Hospitality and hostility in hospitals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Tina Blegind; Aanestad, Margunn

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the adoption of healthcare information systems (HIS) from a user perspective. Our case study concerns how a group of orthopaedic surgeons experienced and reacted to the adoption and mandatory use of an Electronic Patient Record system in a Danish hospital. We...... propose to use the concepts of hospitality and hostility to turn our attention to the interaction between the host (the surgeons) and the guest (the information system) and consider how the boundaries between them evolved in the everyday work practices. As an alternative to previous studies on technology...

Caracterización clínica y epidemiológica de los casos de dengue: experiencia del Hospital General de Culiacán, Sinaloa, México Clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of dengue cases: the experience of a general hospital in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico

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María Guadalupe Ramírez-Zepeda

2009-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Documentar las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de los pacientes con dengue atendidos en un hospital de Culiacán, Sinaloa, México. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal, observacional y analítico realizado en el Hospital General Dr. Bernardo J. Gastélum de Culiacán entre el 1 de octubre y el 2 de diciembre de 2003. Se evaluó la asociación entre las variables independientes (las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de los pacientes y la variable dependiente (diagnóstico confirmado de dengue hemorrágico mediante el análisis de regresión simple. Las variables que mostraron una relación significativa (P 100 000/mm3 en casos con cuadros clínicos graves (fuga capilar que no se clasificaron como dengue hemorrágico por no cumplir todos los criterios establecidos por la OMS.OBJECTIVES: To document the clinical and epidemiological characteristics present in dengue patients served by a hospital in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study was carried out at the Hospital General Dr. Bernardo J. Gastélum de Culiacan from 1 October to 2 December 2003. Associations between the independent variables (the patients' clinical and epidemiological characteristics and the dependent variable (confirmed hemorrhagic dengue were determined through simple regression analysis. The variables that were significantly associated (P 100000/mm3 were confirmed in cases with acute clinical symptoms (capillary leak that were not classified as hemorrhagic dengue due to falling short of the criteria established by WHO.

Perspective of midwives working at hospitals affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences regarding medical errors

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Mahboubeh Valiani

2015-01-01

Conclusions: Based on the results of this study on the perspectives of participants, among the three factors of medical errors (human factors, structural factors, and management factors, human factors are the biggest threat in committing medical errors. Modification in the pattern of teaching by the midwifery professors and their presence in the hospitals, creating a no-blame culture, and sharing of alerts in medical errors are among appropriate actions in the dimensions of human, structural, and managerial factors.

Epidemiology of hospital acquired urinary tract infections in a medical college hospital in Goa

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Umesh S Kamat

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Hospital Acquired Urinary Tract Infection (HAUTI is the commonest among the nosocomial infections, and hospital specific data concerning its magnitude and attributes is essential to its effective control. Materials and Methods: Prospective study was undertaken among 498 in-patients at the medical college hospital in Goa, employing the clinico-bacteriologic criteria of CDC, Atlanta, in the representative medicine and surgery wards. Antimicrobial sensitivity was tested using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Statistical Analysis: Statistical significance of association was tested using the chi-square test and the unpaired t-test at 5% level of significance, while the strength of association was expressed as the Odd′s ratio with 95% confidence interval calculated by Wolff′s method. Results: While the overall infection rate was 8.03/100 admissions, 33.6% of the catheterized patients developed HAUTI. Effect of gender was found to remain restricted to the development of HAUTI among females at an earlier age and earlier in time series compared to males, but no overall difference in incidence in the two sexes. The factors significantly associated with HAUTI included: duration of hospitalization, per urethral catheterization and the duration of catheterization. E. coli, Pseudomonas, Kebsiella, and Candida accounted for over 90% of the isolates, and 73.5% of these were resistant to all the antibiotics for which sensitivity was tested. The remaining isolates demonstrated sensitivity to amikacin and/or cefoperazone-sulbactam. Conclusion: High infection rate coupled with widespread isolation polyantimicrobial resistant nosocomial pathogens emphasizes the importance of meticulous surveillance of nosocomial infections in the hospital, with due attention to antibiotic prescription practices.

Hip osteoarthritis in Douala General Hospital: Clinical, radiological ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and radiological profile of hip OA, and also treatment options offered to patients presenting with this condition at the Douala General Hospital, Cameroon. Methods: After prior ethical clearance, a hospital-based cross sectional descriptive study was carried out, including ...

Molecular Identification and Epidemiological Features of Human Adenoviruses Associated with Acute Respiratory Infections in Hospitalized Children in Southern China, 2012-2013.

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Yi Chen

Full Text Available Acute respiratory infections (ARI are the major worldwide health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Human adenovirus (HAdV is one of the most common pathogens associated with viral ARI, and thus calls for specific diagnosis and better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical characteristics.Total 4,130 children with ARI requiring hospitalization from 2012 to 2013 were retrospectively studied. Throat swab specimens were collected from each patient. Fluorescence Quantitative PCR was performed to detect adenovirus as well as other common ARI-related pathogens. The seven HAdV hypervariable regions (HVRs of the hexon gene from fifty-seven HAdVs-positive samples collected in the seasonal peaks were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of HVRs was also conducted to confirm the molecular types and genetic variation. In addition, epidemiological features and co-infection with other human respiratory pathogens were investigated and analyzed.Of 4,130 hospitalized pediatric patients tested, the positive rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP, and HAdV were 13.7%, 13.2%, and 12.0%, respectively. The HAdV positive patients accounted for 7.9%, 17.2%, 17.5% and 10.7% in age groups <1, 1-3, 3-6 and 6-14 years, respectively. Eighty-four HAdV positive children were co-infected with other respiratory pathogens (84/495, 17.0%. The most common co-infection pathogens with HAdV were MP (57.1% and Human Bocavirus (HBoV (16.7%. The majority of HAdV infected patients were totally recovered (96.9%, 480/495; However, four (0.8% patients, who were previously healthy and at the age of 2 years or younger died of pneumonia. Seasonal peaks of HAdV infection occurred in the summer season of 2012 and 2013; the predominant HAdV type was HAdV-3 (70%, followed by HAdV-7 (28%. These epidemiological features were different from those in Northern China. The HAdV-55 was identified and reported for the first time in Guangzhou

Factors affecting mortality and epidemiological data in patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Burns continue to be responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In this study we aimed to determine the factors affecting mortality and epidemiological data by examining the records of burned patients. Method. The hospital records of 980 patients who were hospitalised in the ...

Current status of the scientific study of the personality disorders: an overview of epidemiological, longitudinal, experimental psychopathology, and neurobehavioral perspectives.

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Lenzenweger, Mark F

2010-08-01

Research on the nature and development of personality disorders has grown immensely over the past thirty years. A selective summary overview is given of the current status of the scientific study of the personality disorders from several perspectives, including the epidemiological, longitudinal, experimental psychopathology, and neurobehavioral perspectives. From this research, we now know that approximately 10 percent of the general population suffer from a diagnosable personality disorder. Moreover, contrary to nearly a century of theory and clinical pedagogy, modern longitudinal studies clearly suggest that personality disorders decrease in severity over time. The mechanisms by which this change occurs are not understood at present, though it is not likely that change in underlying normal personality systems drives the change in personality disorder. The methods of the experimental psychopathology laboratory, including neuroimaging approaches, are being brought to bear on the nature of personality disorders in efforts to relate neurobiological and neurocognitive functions to personality disorder symptomatology. A model that links personality disorder feature development to underlying, interacting brain-based neurobehavioral systems is reviewed in brief. Current issues and findings illustrative of these developments are given using borderline personality disorder as an exemplar. Finally, areas of intersection between psychoanalytic treatment approaches and the growing science of personality disorder are highlighted.

Epidemiology of adverse drug reactions in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouvy, Jacoline C; De Bruin, Marie L; Koopmanschap, Marc A

2015-01-01

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) cause considerable mortality and morbidity but no recent reviews are currently available for the European region. Therefore, we performed a review of all epidemiological studies quantifying ADRs in a European setting that were published between 1 January 2000 and 3...... September 2014. Included studies assessed the number of patients who were admitted to hospital due to an ADR, studies that assessed the number of patients who developed an ADR during hospitalization, and studies that measured ADRs in the outpatient setting. In total, 47 articles were included in the final...... review. The median percentage of hospital admissions due to an ADR was 3.5 %, based on 22 studies, and the median percentage of patients who experienced an ADR during hospitalization was 10.1 %, based on 13 studies. Only five studies were found that assessed ADRs occurring in the outpatient setting...

Epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii infection in Africa: a OneHealth systematic review.

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Sky Vanderburg

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Q fever is a common cause of febrile illness and community-acquired pneumonia in resource-limited settings. Coxiella burnetii, the causative pathogen, is transmitted among varied host species, but the epidemiology of the organism in Africa is poorly understood. We conducted a systematic review of C. burnetii epidemiology in Africa from a "One Health" perspective to synthesize the published data and identify knowledge gaps.We searched nine databases to identify articles relevant to four key aspects of C. burnetii epidemiology in human and animal populations in Africa: infection prevalence; disease incidence; transmission risk factors; and infection control efforts. We identified 929 unique articles, 100 of which remained after full-text review. Of these, 41 articles describing 51 studies qualified for data extraction. Animal seroprevalence studies revealed infection by C. burnetii (≤13% among cattle except for studies in Western and Middle Africa (18-55%. Small ruminant seroprevalence ranged from 11-33%. Human seroprevalence was <8% with the exception of studies among children and in Egypt (10-32%. Close contact with camels and rural residence were associated with increased seropositivity among humans. C. burnetii infection has been associated with livestock abortion. In human cohort studies, Q fever accounted for 2-9% of febrile illness hospitalizations and 1-3% of infective endocarditis cases. We found no studies of disease incidence estimates or disease control efforts.C. burnetii infection is detected in humans and in a wide range of animal species across Africa, but seroprevalence varies widely by species and location. Risk factors underlying this variability are poorly understood as is the role of C. burnetii in livestock abortion. Q fever consistently accounts for a notable proportion of undifferentiated human febrile illness and infective endocarditis in cohort studies, but incidence estimates are lacking. C. burnetii presents a real

Improvement of hospital performance through innovation: toward the value of hospital care.

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Dias, Casimiro; Escoval, Ana

2013-01-01

The perspective of innovation as the strategic lever of organizational performance has been widespread in the hospital sector. While public value of innovation can be significant, it is not evident that innovation always ends up in higher levels of performance. Within this context, the purpose of the article was to critically analyze the relationship between innovation and performance,taking into account the specificities of the hospital sector. This article pulls together primary data on organizational flexibility, innovation, and performance from 95 hospitals in Portugal,collected through a survey, data from interviews to hospital administration boards, and a panel of 15 experts. The diversity of data sources allowed for triangulation. The article uses mixed methods to explore the relationship between innovation and performance in the hospital sector in Portugal. The relationship between innovation and performance is analyzed through cluster analysis, supplemented with content analysis of interviews and the technical nominal group. The main findings reveal that the cluster of efficient innovators has twice the level of performance than other clusters. Organizational flexibility and external cooperation are the 2 major factors explaining these differences. The article identifies various organizational strategies to use innovation in order to enhance hospital performance. Overall, it proposes the alignment of perspectives of different stakeholders on the value proposition of hospital services, the embeddedness of information loops, and continuous adjustments toward high-value services.

Traumatic spinal cord injuries – epidemiologic and medico-legal issues

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Hanganu Bianca

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Spinal cord injuries represent a special category of injuries in traumatic pathology, with high morbidity and mortality, which justify their analysis with the aim to identify useful aspects in order to prevent and treat them. We therefore performed a retrospective study on 426 cases in order to analyze epidemiology and medico-legal issues related to spinal cord injuries. The studied items regarded socio-demographic aspects (gender, age, home region, type of lesions (vertebral, spinal cord, association with other trauma, circumstances leading to trauma (cause of the injury, season, data regarding hospitalization (medical condition at the hospital admission, number of days of hospitalization, clinical diagnosis, imaging exploration level and data resulting from autopsy (diagnosis, toxicological examination. Most of our results are consistent with literature data, except for some epidemiological items, which might be explained with cultural differences, life style and inhomogeneous population. Based on our results, the general conclusion is the need for prevention campaigns, focusing on road traffic accidents and falls (especially in elderly as the main causes of spinal cord injuries.

Hospital acquisitions, parenting styles and management accounting change: An institutional perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Dossi, Andrea; Lecci, Francesca; Longo, Francesco; Morelli, Marco

2017-02-01

Many healthcare scholars have applied institutional theories to the study of management accounting systems (MAS) change. However, little attention has been devoted to MAS change within groups. Kostova et al. highlight the limitations of traditional institutional frameworks in studying groups since they are characterised not only by the existence of external institutional environments but also by intra-organisational (meso-level) ones. Given this background, the research question is: how does the meso-level institutional environment affect MAS change in healthcare groups? We use a longitudinal multiple-case study design to understand the role of headquarters in shaping local MAS change. We would expect companies to adopt similar MAS. However, we argue that the relationship between external institutions and MAS change cannot be wholly understood without taking into consideration the role of headquarters. Our analysis shows how hospitals facing the same external institutional environment implement different MAS as a consequence of different parenting styles. From a scientific perspective, our article contributes to broaden traditional institutional theoretical frameworks.

Epidemiology and patterns of care for invasive breast carcinoma at a community hospital in Southern India

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Venkata Phanindra

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer incidence in India is on rise. We report epidemiological, clinical and survival patterns of breast cancer patients from community perspective. Methods All breast cancer patients treated at this hospital from July 2000 to July 2005 were included. All had cytological or histological confirmation of breast cancer. TNM guidelines for staging and Immunohistochemistry to assess the receptor status were used. Either lumpectomy with axillary lymph node dissection or Modified radical mastectomy (MRM was done for operable breast cancer, followed by 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with FAC or CMF regimens to patients with pT >1 cm or lymph node positive or estrogen receptor negative and radiotherapy to patients after breast conservation surgery, pT size > 5 cm, 4 or more positive nodes and stage IIIB disease. Patients with positive Estrogen receptor or Progesterone receptor were advised Tamoxifene 20 mg per day for 3 years. Descriptive analysis was performed. Independent T test and Chi-square test were used. Overall survival time was computed by Kaplan – Meier method. Results Of 1488 cancer patients, 122 (8.2% had breast cancer. Of 122 patients, 96.7% had invasive breast carcinoma and 3.3% had sarcoma. 94% came from the rural and semi urban areas. Premenopausal women were 27%. The median age was 50 years. Stage I-6.8%, II-45.8%, III-22%, IV-6.8%, Bilateral breast cancer – 2.5%. The mean pT size was 3.9 cm. ER and PR were positive in 31.6% and 28.1% respectively. MRM was done in 93.8%, while 6.3% patients underwent breast conservation surgery. The mean of the lymph nodes dissected were 3. CMF and FAC regimens were used in 48.8% and 51.2% of patients respectively. FAC group were younger than the CMF group (43.6 yr vs. 54 yrs, P = 0.000. Toxicities were more in FAC than CMF group, alopecia (100% vs. 26.2%, grade2 or more emesis (31.8% vs. 9.2%, grade2 or more fatigue (40.9% vs.19%, anemia (43.1% vs. 16.6%. Median

Excess Hospitalization Expenses Attributable to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Png, May Ee; Yoong, Joanne; Tan, Chuen Seng; Chia, Kee Seng

2018-04-20

To estimate the excess hospitalization expenses attributable to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a high-income Asian country from the health system perspective and the patient perspective. Electronic medical records from a tertiary academic hospital in Singapore from 2012 to 2013 were used to create propensity score-matched cohorts with and without T2DM on the basis of their entry characteristics. A two-part model was then used to control for remaining differences between the cohorts. Excess cost due to diabetes was defined as the difference in hospital expenses between a patient with diabetes and a matched patient without diabetes. As part of the sensitivity analysis, a two-part model without matching and different matching algorithms were used to obtain the range of hospitalization expenses attributable to patients with T2DM. Balance of covariates after matching was investigated. All costs were presented in 2013 US dollars. Mean adjusted excess hospital expense of one hospital visit attributable to diabetes was approximately $1007 and $113 from the health system perspective and the patient perspective, respectively. For the cohort of patients with T2DM in Singapore, this amounts to a total average expenditure of $117 million and $13 million from the health system perspective and the patient perspective, respectively. Hospitalization expenses from diabetes result in a significant cost to the health care system in Singapore. Nevertheless, the excess burden of hospitalization on patients is mitigated significantly by cost sharing, which may reduce financial incentives to avert admissions through preventative care, which is largely out-of-pocket. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Hospitality as an expression of nursing care].

Science.gov (United States)

Barra, Daniela Couto Carvalho; Waterkemper, Roberta; Kempfer, Silvana Silveira; Carraro, Telma Elisa; Radünz, Vera

2010-01-01

Qualitative research whose purpose was to reflect and argue about the relationship between hospitality, care and nursing according to experiences of PhD students. The research was developed from theoretic and practical meeting carried through by disciplines "the care in Nursing and Health" of PhD nursing Program at Santa Catarina Federal University. Its chosen theoretical frame of Hospitality perspective while nursing care. Data were collected applying a semi-structured questionnaire at ten doctoral students. The analysis of the data was carried through under the perspective of the content analysis according to Bardin. Hospitality it is imperative for the individuals adaptation in the hospital context or any area where it is looking for health care.

Epidemiology of Hospitalizations Associated with Invasive Candidiasis, United States, 2002-20121.

Science.gov (United States)

Strollo, Sara; Lionakis, Michail S; Adjemian, Jennifer; Steiner, Claudia A; Prevots, D Rebecca

2016-01-01

Invasive candidiasis is a major nosocomial fungal disease in the United States associated with high rates of illness and death. We analyzed inpatient hospitalization records from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to estimate incidence of invasive candidiasis-associated hospitalizations in the United States. We extracted data for 33 states for 2002-2012 by using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification, for invasive candidiasis; we excluded neonatal cases. The overall age-adjusted average annual rate was 5.3 hospitalizations/100,000 population. Highest risk was for adults >65 years of age, particularly men. Median length of hospitalization was 21 days; 22% of patients died during hospitalization. Median unadjusted associated cost for inpatient care was $46,684. Age-adjusted annual rates decreased during 2005-2012 for men (annual change -3.9%) and women (annual change -4.5%) and across nearly all age groups. We report a high mortality rate and decreasing incidence of hospitalizations for this disease.

Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kussmann, Martin; Morine, Melissa J; Hager, Jörg

2013-01-01

We review here the status of human type 2 diabetes studies from a genetic, epidemiological, and clinical (intervention) perspective. Most studies limit analyses to one or a few omic technologies providing data of components of physiological processes. Since all chronic diseases are multifactorial...... at different time points along this longitudinal investigation are performed with a comprehensive set of omics platforms. These data sets are generated in a biological context, rather than biochemical compound class-driven manner, which we term "systems omics."...

Clinical-Epidemiological Pattern of Primary Immunodeficiencies in Malaysia 1987-2006: A 20 year experience in Four Malaysian Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, L M; Nasuruddin, B A; Abdul Latiff, A H; Noah, R M; Kamarul Azahar, M R; Norzila, M Z; Zulkifli, I; Gill, H K; Nik Zainal, N I; Suhaimi, A W M; Nik Khairulddin, N Y; Maraina, H; Intan, H I; Mat, I; Shahnaz, M; B H O, Azizi

2013-01-01

To determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients seen with primary immunodeficiencies referred at four Malaysian Hospitals between 1987 to 2007. Patient data were retrospectively obtained from patient records and supplemented by information from a standardized questionnaires taken at the time of diagnosis from 4 participating hospitals. The completed data were transferred to document records kept by the first author. The diagnoses made were based on criteria set by WHO Scientific Committee 1986. Fifty one (51) patients with completed records satisfied the criteria of primary immunodeficiencies based on WHO Scientific Committee 1986. Predominant Antibody deficiency (40.4%) is the commonest of the class of primary immunodeficiency (based on modified IUIS classification) followed by phagocytic defect (17.3%), combined immunodeficiencies (15.4%) and other cellular immunodeficiencies (11.5%). The commonest clinical presentation is pneumonia (54%) . A positive Family history with a close family relative afflicted was a strong pointer to diagnosis for PID (52.6%) Primary immnodeficiencies are seen in all the major ethnic groups of Malaysia, predominantly among Malays. As observed in other patient registries, diagnostic delay remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Primary immunodeficiencies is relative rare but is an emerging disease in Malaysia. Creating awareness of the disease, may reveal more cases within the community. It is sufficient to be a health issue in Malaysia as in other developing countries in the future.

Fungemia in a university hospital: an epidemiological approach Fungemia em hospital universitário: uma abordagem epidemiológica

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Fabíola Maria Marques do Couto

2011-12-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Fungemia corresponds to the isolation of fungi in the bloodstream and occurs mostly in immunosuppressed patients. The early diagnosis and treatment of these infections are relevant given the serious threat to the affected patients and possible spread to other organs, often becoming fatal. The growing number of fungemia associated with poor prognosis resulted in this research aiming to diagnose and assess the epidemiological aspects of hematogenous infections by fungi. METHODS: The study included 58 blood samples collected within a 1-year period, from patients at the Hospital das Clinicas, Federal University of Pernambuco, by venipuncture in vacuum tubes. Blood samples were processed for direct examination and culture and identification, conducted by observing the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, as well as physiological characteristics when necessary. RESULTS: Eight (13.8% episodes of fungemia were identified, accounting for the total sample, and these pathogens were Candida, Histoplasma, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus, and a dematiaceous fungus. C. albicans was the prevalent species, accounting for 37.5% of the cases. Most affected patients were adult males. There was no predominance for any activity, and the risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was the underlying pathology most often cited. CONCLUSIONS: The isolation of fungi considered as emergent species, such as C. membranifaciens and dematiaceous species, highlights the importance of epidemiological monitoring of cases of fungemia in immunocompromised patients, as the therapy of choice depends on the knowledge of the aethiological agent.INTRODUÇÃO: Fungemia corresponde ao isolamento de fungos na corrente sanguínea e ocorre, sobretudo, em pacientes imunossuprimidos. O diagnóstico e tratamento precoce destas infecções são relevantes diante da grave ameaça aos pacientes acometidos e possível disseminação via hematogênica para outros órgãos, tornando

Epidemiological Trends of Spine Trauma: An Australian Level 1 Trauma Centre Study

OpenAIRE

Tee, J. W.; Chan, C. H. P.; Fitzgerald, M. C. B.; Liew, S. M.; Rosenfeld, J. V.

2013-01-01

Knowledge of current epidemiology and spine trauma trends assists in public resource allocation, fine-tuning of primary prevention methods, and benchmarking purposes. Data on all patients with traumatic spine injuries admitted to the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne between May 1, 2009, and January 1, 2011, were collected from the Alfred Trauma Registry, Alfred Health medical database, and Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry. Epidemiological trends were analyzed as a general cohort, with...

Epidemiologic profile of surgery for spinomedullary injury at a referral hospital in a country town of Brazil

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Danilo Magnani Bernardi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To analyze the epidemiological profile of patients undergoing surgery at a referral hospital in a small, country town. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out between February 2009 and May 2010, in a Regional Referral unit, with a total of 24 patients. The cases study included all patients undergoing surgery for spinal trauma during this period, with or without neurological deficits. The data analyzed were: sex, age, location and degree of the injury, and mechanism of the injury. Results: The medianage of the patients was 35.8 years, and 75% were male. The mechanisms of the injury were motorcycle accidents in 37.5%, falls in 33.3%, automobile accidents in 25%, and diving into shallow water in 4.2%. The vertebral level affected was the cervical spine in 44%, the thoracic spine in 36%, and the thoracolumbar level in 20%. The neurological damage, classified according ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association was complete, or category A in 37.5%, incomplete, or category B in 4.2%, incomplete, or category C in 12.5%, incomplete, or category D in 8.3%, and incomplete, or category E in 37.5%. In terms of access route, 64% of the procedures were performed with posterior access and 36% with anterior access. Conclusion: The epidemiological profile maintains the trend towards a prevalence of injuries among young men, affecting the cervical level, with the presence of spinal cord lesion. However, accidents involving motorcycles and fallings from heights are factors that can be modified by safety measures on the roads and in the workplace, which can reverse the high prevalence of these accidents.

[Epidemiological changes in peptic ulcer and their relation with Helicobacter pylori. Hospital Daniel A Carrion 2000-2005].

Science.gov (United States)

Montes Teves, Pedro; Salazar Ventura, Sonia; Monge Salgado, Eduardo

2007-01-01

Peptic ulcer disease is a frequent pathological condition. In the last few years there have been reports describing changes in its epidemiology and its association with Helicobacter pylori infection. To describe epidemiological characteristics of peptic ulcers during the study period from January 2000 through December 2005 in Hospital Daniel Carrion. Cross sectional analitical study. All patients with an endoscopic diagnosis of peptic ulcer were included. Patients with gastric cancer or previous surgery were excluded. Data were processed using the SPSS 9.0 software. We reviewed 10,819 endoscopy reports with 899 peptic ulcer cases diagnosed during the study period. 67.8% were male, age average 54 years. Age was higher in females (59.8 y), as was in those with gastric and pyloric ulcers (68.7 y). Most frequent endoscopic indications were upper gastrointestinal bleeding (53.3%) and dyspepsia (43.8%). Duodenal location was the most frequent (49.5%) although in recent years gastric ulcers have become more prevalent. Gastric ulcers were more commonly located in the antrum lesser curvature, while duodenal ulcers were located in the anterior wall of the duodenal bulb. Gastric ulcers were larger in size and more in number than duodenal ones. Helicobacter pylori was present in 65.3% of all ulcers, 74.3% for duodenal and 55.4% for gastric ulcers. Prevalence of peptic ulcers during the study period was 83.09 cases per 1,000 endoscopies. Duodenal ulcers were the most frequent although there is a decline in the last years. There is also a decrease in the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection as compared to what is usually described.

Data on education: from population statistics to epidemiological research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pallesen, Palle Bo; Tverborgvik, Torill; Rasmussen, Hanna Barbara

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Level of education is in many fields of research used as an indicator of social status. METHODS: Using Statistics Denmark's register for education and employment of the population, we examined highest completed education with a birth-cohort perspective focusing on people born between...... of population trends by use of extrapolated values, solutions are less obvious in epidemiological research using individual level data....

[School refusal and dropping out of school: positioning regarding a Swiss perspective].

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Walitza, Susanne; Melfsen, Siebke; Della Casa, André; Schneller, Lena

2013-01-01

This article deals with refusal to attend school and dropping out of school from the point of view of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology, in German speaking countries and from the perspective of Swiss schools and their administrative bodies. General epidemiological data on refusal to attend school show that approximately 5% of children and adolescents are likely to try to avoid attending school at some point. There is very little data available on the frequency of school drop-out. In the past two years (2011 and 2012), approximately 2% of all patients seen for the first time at the department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Zurich, were referred because of failure to attend school, making this phenomenon one of the most common reasons for referral in child and adolescent psychiatry. After a discussion of the epidemiology, symptomatology, causes and its risk factors, the article presents examples drawn from practice and guidelines for intervention in cases of refusal to attend school, and discusses ways of preventing school drop-out from the point of view of schools, hospitals and bodies such as educational psychology services in Switzerland.

The epidemiology and outcome of childhood tuberculous meningitis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A prospective study was undertaken to determine the epidemiology and outcome of tuberculous meningitis in children admitted to hospital in Bloemtontein, OFS. Over a 5-year period 75 patients were studied, and 78% of them were < 5 years of age. The largest group of patients came from rural areas. The annual incidence ...

Outsourcing in public hospitals: a Greek perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Moschuris, Socrates J; Kondylis, Michael N

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research is to investigate the extent of outsourcing, the decision-making process, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in public hospitals in Greece. A survey instrument was designed and mailed to a random sample of 100 public hospitals in Greece and 43 usable questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 43 percent. The survey instrument focused on the extent to which public hospitals outsource services, the decision-making process for choosing an external service provider, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in public healthcare organisations. Public hospitals in Greece outsource a variety of activities. Cost savings and customer satisfaction are the main factors affecting the outsourcing decision. The cooperation with a contract service provider has led to significant improvement in service quality levels. Most users are satisfied with the performance of these companies and believe that there will be an increase in the usage of these services in the future. It provides a decision-making framework regarding outsourcing in public healthcare organisations. This research fills the gap in the area of outsourcing in public hospitals in Greece.

Clinical and molecular epidemiology of hospital Enterococcus faecium isolates in eastern France. Members of Réseau Franc-Comtois de Lutte contr les Infections Nosocomiales.

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Bertrand, X; Thouverez, M; Bailly, P; Cornette, C; Talon, D

2000-06-01

We carried out a surveillance study of Enterococcus faecium isolates in the Franche-Comtéregion of France over three years. Clinical and epidemiological strains were characterized by antibiotype and genotype (pulsed field gel electrophoresis, PFGE). Three case-control studies were performed to identify risk factors for colonization/infection with three defined resistant phenotypes (amoxycillin, high-level gentamicin and high-level kanamycin). The crude incidence of colonization/infection was 0.156%, and 68.8% of cases were classified as hospital-acquired. Incidence did not differ according to the type of hospitalization (middle term or acute care). The urinary tract was the major site of infection. Resistance rates were: 45.8% (amoxycillin), 18.7% (high-level gentamicin), 61.4% (high-level kanamycin) and 3.1% (vancomycin). No isolate produced b-lactamase and one isolate carried the vanA gene. PFGE revealed two major epidemic patterns each including resistant strains isolated in different hospitals and during different periods in the study. Previous antimicrobial treatment was not identified as a risk factor for colonization/infection with any resistant phenotype. Despite the low frequency of vancomycin-resistant isolates in this study, resistant strains were widely disseminated and had characteristics enabling them to persist and spread. If these strains acquired the vanA gene, the risk of an outbreak would be large. So, the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium in hospitals should be carefully monitored in the future. Copyright 2000 The Hospital Infection Society.

Incidence and Epidemiology of Hospitalized Influenza Cases in Rural Thailand during the Influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 Pandemic, 2009–2010

Science.gov (United States)

Baggett, Henry C.; Chittaganpitch, Malinee; Thamthitiwat, Somsak; Prapasiri, Prabda; Naorat, Sathapana; Sawatwong, Pongpun; Ditsungnoen, Darunee; Olsen, Sonja J.; Simmerman, James M.; Srisaengchai, Prasong; Chantra, Somrak; Peruski, Leonard F.; Sawanpanyalert, Pathom; Maloney, Susan A.; Akarasewi, Pasakorn

2012-01-01

Background Data on the burden of the 2009 influenza pandemic in Asia are limited. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was first reported in Thailand in May 2009. We assessed incidence and epidemiology of influenza-associated hospitalizations during 2009–2010. Methods We conducted active, population-based surveillance for hospitalized cases of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in all 20 hospitals in two rural provinces. ALRI patients were sampled 1∶2 for participation in an etiology study in which nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for influenza virus testing by PCR. Results Of 7,207 patients tested, 902 (12.5%) were influenza-positive, including 190 (7.8%) of 2,436 children aged incidence of hospitalized influenza cases was 136 per 100,000, highest in ages 75 years (407 per 100,000). The incidence of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 62 per 100,000 (214 per 100,000 in children <5 years). Eleven influenza-infected patients required mechanical ventilation, and four patients died, all adults with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (1) or H3N2 (3). Conclusions Influenza-associated hospitalization rates in Thailand during 2009–10 were substantial and exceeded rates described in western countries. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 predominated, but H3N2 also caused notable morbidity. Expanded influenza vaccination coverage could have considerable public health impact, especially in young children. PMID:23139802

Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Scrub Typhus and Murine Typhus among Hospitalized Patients with Acute Undifferentiated Fever in Northern Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

Hamaguchi, Sugihiro; Cuong, Ngo Chi; Tra, Doan Thu; Doan, Yen Hai; Shimizu, Kenta; Tuan, Nguyen Quang; Yoshida, Lay-Myint; Mai, Le Quynh; Duc-Anh, Dang; Ando, Shuji; Arikawa, Jiro; Parry, Christopher M.; Ariyoshi, Koya; Thuy, Pham Thanh

2015-01-01

A descriptive study on rickettsiosis was conducted at the largest referral hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, to identify epidemiological and clinical characteristics of specific rickettsiosis. Between March 2001 and February 2003, we enrolled 579 patients with acute undifferentiated fever (AUF), excluding patients with malaria, dengue fever, and typhoid fever, and serologically tested for Orientia tsutsugamushi and Rickettsia typhi. Of the patients, 237 (40.9%) and 193 (33.3%) had scrub and murine typhus, respectively, and 149 (25.7%) had neither of them (non–scrub and murine typhus [non-ST/MT]). The proportion of murine typhus was highest among patients living in Hanoi whereas that of scrub typhus was highest in national or regional border areas. The presence of an eschar, dyspnea, hypotension, and lymphadenopathy was significantly associated with a diagnosis of scrub typhus (OR = 46.56, 10.90, 9.01, and 7.92, respectively). Patients with murine typhus were less likely to have these findings but more likely to have myalgia, rash, and relative bradycardia (OR = 1.60, 1.56, and 1.45, respectively). Scrub typhus and murine typhus were shown to be common causes of AUF in northern Vietnam although the occurrence of spotted fever group rickettsiae was not determined. Clinical and epidemiological information may help local clinicians make clinical diagnosis of specific rickettsioses in a resource-limited setting. PMID:25778504

Multilocus Sequence Typing of Pathogenic Candida albicans Isolates Collected from a Teaching Hospital in Shanghai, China: A Molecular Epidemiology Study

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Li, Li; Zhang, Qiangqiang; Zhu, Junhao; Gao, Qian; Chen, Min; Zhu, Min

2015-01-01

Molecular typing of Candida albicans is important for studying the population structure and epidemiology of this opportunistic yeast, such as population dynamics, nosocomial infections, multiple infections and microevolution. The genetic diversity of C. albicans has been rarely studied in China. In the present study, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to characterize the genetic diversity and population structure of 62 C. albicans isolates collected from 40 patients from Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. A total of 50 diploid sequence types (DSTs) were identified in the 62 C. albicans isolates, with 41 newly identified DSTs. Based on cluster analysis, the 62 isolates were classified into nine existing clades and two new clades (namely clades New 1 and New 2). The majority of the isolates were clustered into three clades, clade 6 (37.5%), clade 1 (15.0%) and clade 17 (15.0%). Isolates of clade New 2 were specifically identified in East Asia. We identified three cases of potential nosocomial transmission based on association analysis between patients’ clinical data and the genotypes of corresponding isolates. Finally, by analyzing the genotypes of serial isolates we further demonstrated that the microevolution of C. albicans was due to loss of heterozygosity. Our study represents the first molecular typing of C. albicans in eastern China, and we confirmed that MLST is a useful tool for studying the epidemiology and evolution of C. albicans. PMID:25919124

Características epidemiológicas de la cirrosis hepática en el Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Epidemiology of liver cirrhosis at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara

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OCTAVIO CAMPOLLO

1997-05-01

Full Text Available Objetivo. Estudiar prospectivamente las características demográficas y epidemiológicas de los pacientes con cirrosis hepática en el Hospital Civil de Guadalajara en un periodo de un año. Material y métodos. Se estudiaron 157 pacientes (48 mujeres y 109 hombres, de los servicios de Medicina Interna, Gastroenterología y Clínica de Hígado con diagnóstico de cirrosis hepática el cual se hizo con base en la información clínica, bioquímica o histopatológica; asimismo, se les aplicó un cuestionario especializado en enfermedades hepáticas. Resultados. La principal causa de la cirrosis fue el alcoholismo (38% en mujeres y 95% en hombres, seguida de la etiología viral. Las bebidas más frecuentes fueron el tequila y el alcohol de 96° G.L. El grado de insuficiencia hepática más frecuentemente observado fue el de Child-Pugh "B" en mujeres y "C" en los hombres. Las complicaciones más frecuentes fueron hemorragia de tubo digestivo, ascitis y encefalopatía hepática. Se observaron diferencias en varias características relacionadas con el sexo de los pacientes. Conclusiones. El alcoholismo fue la primera causa de cirrosis hepática. En mujeres la segunda causa fue la viral (16.7%. Se propone un comité nacional de vigilancia de enfermedades del hígado, para generar una información más completa y detallada acerca de la epidemiología de la cirrosis hepática.Objective. A prospective study of the demographic and epidemiologic characteristics of patients with liver cirrhosis at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara within a period of one year. Material and methods. A total of 157 patients (48 women, and 109 men from the Departments of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Liver Clinic were studied. Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis had been previously established based on clinical, biochemical or histopathological information. Additionally, a questionnaire specialized on liver diseases was applied to all patients. Results. Alcoholism was the

[Eco-epidemiology: towards epidemiology of complexity].

Science.gov (United States)

Bizouarn, Philippe

2016-05-01

In order to solve public health problems posed by the epidemiology of risk factors centered on the individual and neglecting the causal processes linking the risk factors with the health outcomes, Mervyn Susser proposed a multilevel epidemiology called eco-epidemiology, addressing the interdependence of individuals and their connection with molecular, individual, societal, environmental levels of organization participating in the causal disease processes. The aim of this epidemiology is to integrate more than a level of organization in design, analysis and interpretation of health problems. After presenting the main criticisms of risk-factor epidemiology focused on the individual, we will try to show how eco-epidemiology and its development could help to understand the need for a broader and integrative epidemiology, in which studies designed to identify risk factors would be balanced by studies designed to answer other questions equally vital to public health. © 2016 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

Unsuitability of the epidemiological approach to bicycle transportation injuries and traffic engineering problems.

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Kary, M

2015-04-01

Bicyclists and transportation professionals would do better to decline advice drawn from characteristically epidemiological studies. The faults of epidemiology are both accidental (unpreparedness for the task) and essential (unsuitability of the methods). Characteristically epidemiological methods are known to be error-prone, and when applied to bicycle transportation suffer from diversion bias, inappropriately broad-brush categorisations, a focus on undifferentiated risk rather than on danger, a bias towards unsafe behaviour, and an overly narrow perspective. To the extent that there is a role for characteristically epidemiological methods, it should be the same as anywhere else: as a preliminary or adjunct to the scientific method, for which there is no substitute. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Hospital Casemix Protocol - Medibank Private Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Szakiel, John

2010-06-01

Hospital Casemix Protocol data provide a brief summary outlining morbidity data and costs associated with an episode of care. Federal government legislation requires that hospitals report this information to private health insurers who, in turn, merge these data with benefit outlays and report their findings to the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). This article gives a brief outline of the collection, cleansing and processing of these data and subsequent reporting to DoHA by Medibank Private, which accounts for approximately 30% of collected data.

Perceptions of molecular epidemiology studies of HIV among stakeholders

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Cynthia Schairer

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Advances in viral sequence analysis make it possible to track the spread of infectious pathogens, such as HIV, within a population. When used to study HIV, these analyses (i.e., molecular epidemiology potentially allow inference of the identity of individual research subjects. Current privacy standards are likely insufficient for this type of public health research. To address this challenge, it will be important to understand how stakeholders feel about the benefits and risks of such research. Design and Methods: To better understand perceived benefits and risks of these research methods, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with HIV-infected individuals, individuals at high-risk for contracting HIV, and professionals in HIV care and prevention. To gather additional perspectives, attendees to a public lecture on molecular epidemiology were asked to complete an informal questionnaire. Results: Among those interviewed and polled, there was near unanimous support for using molecular epidemiology to study HIV. Questionnaires showed strong agreement about benefits of molecular epidemiology, but diverse attitudes regarding risks. Interviewees acknowledged several risks, including privacy breaches and provocation of anti-gay sentiment. The interviews also demonstrated a possibility that misunderstandings about molecular epidemiology may affect how risks and benefits are evaluated. Conclusions: While nearly all study participants agree that the benefits of HIV molecular epidemiology outweigh the risks, concerns about privacy must be addressed to ensure continued trust in research institutions and willingness to participate in research.

Epidemiology of Adult-population Sepsis in India: A Single Center 5 Year Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Sharmila; Bhattacharya, Mahuya; Todi, Subhash Kumar

2017-09-01

Sepsis is a major worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Most sepsis epidemiologic data are from the Western literature. Sparse data from India describe the epidemiology of infection rather than sepsis which is a host response to infection. This study describes the epidemiology of sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of an Indian tertiary care hospital. A prospective study conducted between June 2006 and May 2011. All consecutively admitted patients during the 5 year study >=18 years of age were included and data obtained from hospital in-patient records. Variables measured were the incidence of severe sepsis, ICU, hospital, and 28-day mortality, the median length of ICU stay, median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, infection site, and microbial profile. There were 4711 admissions during the study with 282 (6.2%, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 13.1) admissions with severe sepsis. ICU mortality, hospital mortality, and 28-day mortality were 56%, 63.6%, and 62.8%, respectively. Predominant infection site was respiratory tract. The most common organisms were Gram-negative microbes. The most common microbe was Acinetobacter baumanni. Median APACHE II score on admission was 22 (interquartile range 16-28) and median length of ICU stay was 8 days. Severe sepsis attributable mortality was 85%. Severe sepsis is common in Indian ICUs and is mainly due to Gram-negative organisms. ICU mortality is high in this group and care is resource intensive due to increased length of stay.

Accidents, disasters and crisis: contribution of epidemiology in the nuclear field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verger, P.; Bard, D.; Hubert, P.

1995-01-01

The experience of the Chernobyl accident has shown the necessity of being prepared for epidemiological assessment of the health consequences of a nuclear or a radiological accident. We discuss the contribution of epidemiology in such situations, in addition to the existing tools designed to assess or manage radiological risks. From a decisional point of view, three issues are distinguished: the protection of the different population groups against ionizing radiations, the achievement of health care and the communication with the public and media. We discuss the input of epidemiological tools in both perspectives. Epidemiology may also contribute to the analysis of health events that may be observed after an accident, i.e. to assess whether these events are not statistical artifacts, whether they are an effect of the exposure to ionizing radiations or a non specific consequence of any accident. Finally, epidemiological studies should be carried out to improve our knowledge on ionizing radiations effects with a special consideration given to the dose-effect relationships. Examples of past nuclear accidents are used to discuss these issues. The last part of this paper is focused on different research issues that should be developed for preparing epidemiological plans for nuclear accidents. (Author). 48 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

Developing IT Infrastructure for Rural Hospitals: A Case Study of Benefits and Challenges of Hospital-to-Hospital Partnerships.

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Reddy, Madhu C; Purao, Sandeep; Kelly, Mary

2008-01-01

This article presents a study identifying benefits and challenges of a novel hospital-to-hospital information technology (IT) outsourcing partnership (HHP). The partnership is an innovative response to the problem that many smaller, rural hospitals face: to modernize their IT infrastructure in spite of a severe shortage of resources. The investigators studied three rural hospitals that outsourced their IT infrastructure, through an HHP, to a larger, more technologically advanced hospital in the region. The study design was based on purposive sampling and interviews of senior managers from the four hospitals. The results highlight the HHP's benefits and challenges from both the rural hospitals' and vendor hospital's perspectives. The HHP was considered a success: a key outcome was that it has improved the rural hospitals' IT infrastructure at an affordable cost. The investigators discuss key elements for creating a successful HHP and offer preliminary answers to the question of what it takes for an HHP to be successful.

Consumer perspectives of medication-related problems following discharge from hospital in Australia: a quantitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eassey, Daniela; Smith, Lorraine; Krass, Ines; McLAchlan, Andrew; Brien, Jo-Anne

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the consumer's perspectives and experiences regarding medication related problems (MRPs) following discharge from hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online 80-question survey. Survey participants were recruited through an online market research company. Five hundred and six participants completed the survey. Participants were included if they were aged 50 years or older, taking 5 or more prescription medicines, had been admitted to hospital with a minimum stay of 24 h, admitted to hospital within the last 4 months and discharged from hospital within the last 1 month. The survey comprised questions measuring: health literacy, health status, medication safety (measured by reported MRPs), missed dose(s), role of health professionals, health services and cost, and socio-demographic status. Descriptive and univariate statistics and logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the predictors of experiencing MRPs. Four main risk factors of MRPs emerged as significant: health literacy (P < 0.05), health status (P < 0.05), consumer engagement (P < 0.05) and cost of medicines (P = 0.001). Participants reporting a lack of perceived control over their medicines (OR 6.3; 95% CI: 3.4-11.8) or those who played less of a role in follow-up discussions with their healthcare professionals (OR 7.6; 95% CI: 1.3-45.7) were more likely to experience a self-reported MRP. This study provides insight into consumers' experiences and perceptions of self-reported MRPs following hospital discharge. Results highlight novel findings demonstrating the importance of consumer engagement in developing processes to ensure medication safety on patient discharge. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Epidemiology, hunger and development

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Paulo H. Battaglin Machado

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding the relationship between epidemiology and food security implies in disclosing famine causes, the way it is distributed in the society and to which extent it affects the populations. Building up from that perspective, this paper attempts to understand the famine logic throughout the various transitions accomplished in the past decades: epidemiologic, demographic, risk, nutritional and development. The reflexes of the demographic transition that took place in Brazil in the XXth century are related to the population nutritional status standard changes, that is, they shifted from malnutrition high prevalence to a significant increase in obesity. However, the paradox of this situation is due to the fact that most risk factors that bring about diseases of the modern world come from the “excess”, while millions die around the globe because of “deprivation”. The food production alone does not ensure its equitable distribution among the various groups of the society. The access alone does not lead to quality. The choices are made individually, but life style options imply in a set of correlations that go from economy to culture. It means that this field has a collective basis and encompasses environment and development.

Patient‐friendly hospital environments: exploring the patients’ perspective

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Douglas, Calbert H.; Douglas, Mary R.

2004-01-01

Abstract Objective  To investigate the perceptions and attitudes of patients to the built environments of NHS Trust hospitals, in order to inform design excellence so as to make future hospitals places and spaces responsive to patient needs. Design  An exploratory study of patients perceptions based on qualitative semi‐structured personal interviews. Setting and participants  Fifty one‐to‐one interviews held with hospital in‐patients across the four directorates of surgery, medicine, care of the elderly and maternity at Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, Salford, UK. Results  The research found that there was much similarity in the priorities, issues and concerns raised by patients in each of the four directorates. Patients perceived the built environment of the hospital as a supportive environment. Their accounts in each area pointed to the significance of the factors that immediately impacted on them and their families. Patients identified having a need for personal space, a homely welcoming atmosphere, a supportive environment, good physical design, access to external areas and provision of facilities for recreation and leisure. Responses suggest that patient attitudes and perceptions to the built environment of hospital facilities relates to whether the hospital provides a welcoming homely space for themselves and their visitors that promotes health and wellbeing. Conclusions  The findings have important implications for capital development teams, clinical staff, managers and NHS Estates personnel. Although the study has immediate relevance for Salford Royal Hospitals Trust, findings and recommendations reported provide NHS Estates and other relevant stakeholders with evidence‐based knowledge and understanding of patients’ perceptions and expectations of and preferences for particular facilities and estates provision in NHS hospitals. PMID:14982500

The Current Status of the Disease Caused by Enterovirus 71 Infections: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Molecular Epidemiology, and Vaccine Development.

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Chang, Ping-Chin; Chen, Shou-Chien; Chen, Kow-Tong

2016-09-09

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections have a major public health impact in the Asia-Pacific region. We reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and molecular epidemiology of EV71 infection as well as EV71 vaccine development. Previous studies were found using the search terms "enterovirus 71" and "epidemiology" or "pathogenesis" or "molecular epidemiology" or "vaccine" in Medline and PubMed. Articles that were not published in the English language, manuscripts without an abstract, and opinion articles were excluded from the review. The reported epidemiology of cases caused by EV71 infection varied from country to country; seasonal variations in incidence were observed. Most cases of EV71 infection that resulted in hospitalization for complications occurred in children less than five years old. The brainstem was the most likely major target of EV71 infection. The emergence of the EV71 epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region has been associated with the circulation of different genetic lineages (genotypes B3, B4, C1, C2, and C4) that appear to be undergoing rapid evolutionary changes. The relationship between the gene structure of the EV71 virus and the factors that ensure its survival, circulation, and evasion of immunity is still unknown. EV71 infection has emerged as an important global public health problem. Vaccine development, including the development of inactivated whole-virus live attenuated, subviral particles, and DNA vaccines, has been progressing.

Teratogenicity of depleted uranium aerosols: A review from an epidemiological perspective

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Panikkar Bindu

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Depleted uranium is being used increasingly often as a component of munitions in military conflicts. Military personnel, civilians and the DU munitions producers are being exposed to the DU aerosols that are generated. Methods We reviewed toxicological data on both natural and depleted uranium. We included peer reviewed studies and gray literature on birth malformations due to natural and depleted uranium. Our approach was to assess the "weight of evidence" with respect to teratogenicity of depleted uranium. Results Animal studies firmly support the possibility that DU is a teratogen. While the detailed pathways by which environmental DU can be internalized and reach reproductive cells are not yet fully elucidated, again, the evidence supports plausibility. To date, human epidemiological data include case examples, disease registry records, a case-control study and prospective longitudinal studies. Discussion The two most significant challenges to establishing a causal pathway between (human parental DU exposure and the birth of offspring with defects are: i distinguishing the role of DU from that of exposure to other potential teratogens; ii documentation on the individual level of extent of parental DU exposure. Studies that use biomarkers, none yet reported, can help address the latter challenge. Thoughtful triangulation of the results of multiple studies (epidemiological and other of DU teratogenicity contributes to disentangling the roles of various potentially teratogenic parental exposures. This paper is just such an endeavor. Conclusion In aggregate the human epidemiological evidence is consistent with increased risk of birth defects in offspring of persons exposed to DU.

Identification of the hot-spot areas for sickle cell disease using cord blood screening at a district hospital: an Indian perspective.

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Dixit, Sujata; Sahu, Pushpansu; Kar, Shantanu Kumar; Negi, Sapna

2015-10-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic disorder often reported late, can be identified early in life, and hot-spot areas may be identified to conduct genetic epidemiology studies. This study was undertaken to estimate prevalence and to identify hot spot area for SCD in Kalahandi district, by screening cord blood of neonates delivered at the district hospital as first-hand information. Kalahandi District Hospital selected for the study is predominated by tribal population with higher prevalence of SCD as compared to other parts of Odisha. Cord blood screening of SCD was carried out on 761 newborn samples of which 13 were screened to be homozygous for SCD. Information on area of parent's residence was also collected. Madanpur Rampur area was found to be with the highest prevalence of SCD (10.52 %) and the gene distribution did not follow Hardy-Weinberg Equation indicating un-natural selection. The approach of conducting neonatal screening in a district hospital for identification of SCD is feasible and appropriate for prioritizing area for the implementation of large-scale screening and planning control measures thereof.

Physician's practices and perspectives regarding tobacco cessation in a teaching hospital in Mysore City, Karnataka.

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Saud, Mohammed; Madhu, B; Srinath, K M; Ashok, N C; Renuka, M

2014-01-01

Tobacco is a leading cause of disease and premature death. Most of the smokers visit a doctor for various health related ailments and thus such clinic visits provide many opportunities for interventions and professional tobacco cessation advice. The primary aim of the following study is to assess the physician practices, perspectives, resources, barriers and education relating to tobacco cessation and their perceived need for training for the same. The secondary aim is to compare the physician's cessation practices from patient's perspective. A descriptive study was conducted in a hospital attached to Medical College in Mysore city, Karnataka. Information about doctor's practices, perspectives and their perceived need for training in tobacco cessation were collected using pre-structured self-administered Questionnaire, which were distributed in person. Patient's practices and perspectives were assessed using a pre-structured Oral Questionnaire. Almost 95% of physicians said that they ask patients about their smoking status and 94% advise them to quit smoking, but only 50% assist the patient to quit smoking and only 28% arrange follow-up visits. Thus, they do not regularly provide assistance to help patients quit, even though 98% of the physicians believed that helping patients to quit was a part of their role. Only 18% and 35% of the physicians said that Undergraduate Medical Education and Post Graduate Medical Education respectively prepared them very well to participate in smoking cessation activities. Tobacco cessation requires repeated and regular assistance. Such assistance is not being provided to patients by attending doctors. Our medical education system is failing to impart the necessary skills to doctors, needed to help patients quit smoking. Reforms in education are needed so as to prepare the physician to effectively address this problem.

rRNA Operon Copy Number Can Explain the Distinct Epidemiology of Hospital-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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Jansen, M. D.; Bosch, T.; Jansen, W. T. M.; Schouls, L.; Jonker, M. J.; Boel, C. H. E.

2016-01-01

The distinct epidemiology of original hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) and early community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) is largely unexplained. S. aureus carries either five or six rRNA operon copies. Evidence is provided for a scenario in which MRSA has adapted to the hospital environment by rRNA operon loss (six to five copies) due to antibiotic pressure. Early CA-MRSA, in contrast, results from wild-type methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) that acquired mecA without loss of an rRNA operon. Of the HA-MRSA isolates (n = 77), 67.5% had five rRNA operon copies, compared to 23.2% of the CA-MRSA isolates (n = 69) and 7.7% of MSSA isolates (n = 195) (P operon copies. For all subsets, a correlation between resistance profile and rRNA copy number was found. Furthermore, we showed that in vitro antibiotic pressure may result in rRNA operon copy loss. We also showed that without antibiotic pressure, S. aureus isolates containing six rRNA copies are more fit than isolates with five copies. We conclude that HA-MRSA and cystic fibrosis isolates most likely have adapted to an environment with high antibiotic pressure by the loss of an rRNA operon copy. This loss has facilitated resistance development, which promoted survival in these niches. However, strain fitness decreased, which explains their lack of success in the community. In contrast, CA-MRSA isolates retained six rRNA operon copies, rendering them fitter and thereby able to survive and spread in the community. PMID:27671073

Epidemiological aspects of suicide attempts among Moroccan children.

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Mekaoui, Nour; Karboubi, Lamiae; Ouadghiri, Fatima Zahra; Dakhama, Badr Sououd Benjelloun

2016-01-01

Suicidal behavior among children has significantly increased in Morocco. We conducted a study on the epidemiological aspect to propose a treatment strategy. Descriptive retrospective study over a period of 3 years (April 2012-April 2015) involving children who visited pediatric medical emergencies of the Children Hospital of Rabat after an autolysis attempt. We observed epidemiological parameters, history, social and family context, the means used, the presumed cause, clinical manifestation, and the management. 66 patients were identified. A female predominance was found (sex =15). The average age was 13 years old. This was a first episode in 97% of cases. Psychiatric history was found in 6 patients. The causes of suicide attempt were unidentified in 65%. The most frequent cause was family conflict (35%). The most frequent method was pharmaceutical drug ingestion (54.4%). Children were asymptomatic (57.6%). Neurological manifestations (30%) were most frequent. Digestive symptoms (12%) and hemodynamic (3%) were also discovered. Patients were hospitalized in a general pediatric service 92.4% of the times, admitted to intensive care 4.5% of the times, and two patients refused to be hospitalized. The treatment consisted of gastric lavage (18%) supplemented by symptomatic measures. The outcome was favorable in 95.4% of cases. We recorded 2 deaths by rat poison poisoning. All patients were advised in writing after leaving to follow up with a psychological treatment. Suicide attempts are the result of an ill being, mostly among children living in a family with conflict. Upstream treatment is essential to identify children at risk. Additionally, a psychiatric care in hospital is essential to avoid recurrences.

Drugs use during pregnancy at Medani Maternity Hospital, Sudan ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: There is a limited knowledge on use of drugs during pregnancy including beneficial and possible adverse effects of drugs on both the mother and the fetus. Objective: To investigate epidemiology of use of drugs during pregnancy. Methods: A cross sectional hospital based study at Medani Hospital during the ...

Hospital administrator's perspectives regarding the health care industry.

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McDermott, D R; Little, M W

1988-01-01

Based on responses from 52 hospital administrators, four areas of managerial concern have been addressed, including: (1) decision-making factors; (2) hospital service offerings: current and future; (3) marketing strategy and service priorities; and (4) health care industry challenges. Of the total respondents, 35 percent indicate a Director of Marketing has primary responsibility for making marketing-related decisions in their hospital, and 19 percent, a Vice-President of Marketing, thus demonstrating the increased priority of the marketing function. The continued importance of the physician being the primary market target is highlighted by 70 percent of the administrators feeling physician referrals will be more important regarding future admissions than in the past, compared to only two percent feeling the physicians' role will be less important. Of primary importance to patients selecting a hospital, as perceived by the administrators, are the physician's referral, the patient's previous experience, the hospital's reputation, and the courtesy of the staff. The clear majority of the conventional-care hospitals surveyed offer out-patient surgery, a hospital pharmacy, obstetrics/maternity care, and diabetic services. The future emphasis on expanding services is evidenced by some 50 percent of the hospital administrators indicating they either possibly or definitely plan to offer long-term nursing care, out-patient substance abuse programs, and cancer clinics by 1990. In addition, some one-third of the respondents are likely to expand their offerings to include wellness/fitness centers, in-patient substance abuse programs, remote or satellite primary care clinics, and diabetic services. Other areas having priority for future offerings include services geared specifically toward women and the elderly. Perceived as highest in priority by the administrators regarding how their hospital can achieve its goals in the next three years are market development strategies

Pesticide poisoning in Chitwan, Nepal: a descriptive epidemiological study

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Deepak Gyenwali

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Globally, there is a growing concern over pesticides use, which has been linked to self-harm and suicide. However, there is paucity of research on the epidemiology of pesticides poisoning in Nepal. This study is aimed at assessing epidemiological features of pesticides poisoning among hospital-admitted cases in selected hospitals of Chitwan District of Nepal. Methods A hospital-based quantitative study was carried out in four major hospitals of Chitwan District. Information on all pesticides poisoning cases between April 1 and December 31, 2015, was recorded by using a Pesticides Exposure Record (PER form. Results A total of 439 acute pesticides poisoning cases from 12 districts including Chitwan and adjoining districts attended the hospitals during the 9-month-long study period. A majority of the poisoned subjects deliberately used pesticides (89.5% for attempted suicide. The total incidence rate was 62.67/100000 population per year. Higher annual incidence rates were found among young adults (111.66/100000 population, women (77.53/100000 population and individuals from Dalit ethnic groups (98.22/100000 population. Pesticides responsible for poisoning were mostly insecticides (58.0% and rodenticides (20.8%. The most used chemicals were organophosphates (37.3% and pyrethroids (36.7%. Of the total cases, 98.6% were hospitalized, with intensive care required for 41.3%. The case fatality rate among admitted cases was 3.8%. Conclusions This study has indicated that young adults, females and socially disadvantaged ethnic groups are at a higher risk of pesticides poisoning. Pesticides are mostly misused intentionally as an easy means for committing suicide. It is recommended that the supply of pesticides be properly regulated to prevent easy accessibility and misuse. A population-based study is warranted to reveal the actual problem of pesticides exposure and intoxication in the community.

Epidemiological studies on syncope--a register based approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruwald, Martin Huth

2013-01-01

of the patients play an essential role. In epidemiology these factors have major impact on the outcome of the patients. Until recently, even the definition of syncope, differed from one study to another which has made literature reviews difficult. Traditionally the data on epidemiology of syncope has been taken......: 1) the use, validity and accuracy of the ICD-10 diagnosis of syncope R55.9 in the National Patient Registry for the use of this diagnosis in the epidemiology of syncope, 2) diagnostics used and etiology of a random selection of patients who had a discharge diagnosis of R55.9, 3) the incidence...... thesis demonstrated that the ICD-10 discharge diagnosis could reliably identify a cohort of patients admitted for syncope and that the discharge code carried a high number of unexplained cases despite use of numerous tests. The last studies showed that syncope is a common cause for hospital contact...

Perceptions of Yoga Therapy Embedded in Two Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals: Agency Perspectives

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Marieke Van Puymbroeck

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Inpatient medical rehabilitation has maintained a typical medical-model focus and structure for many years. However, as integrative therapies, such as yoga therapy, emerge as treatments which can enhance the physical and mental health of its participants, it is important to determine if they can be easily implemented into the traditional rehabilitation structure and milieu. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of key agency personnel on the feasibility and utility of yoga therapy implemented in inpatient rehabilitation. This study reports the results of focus groups and an individual interview with key stakeholders (administrators and rehabilitation therapists from two rehabilitation hospitals following the implementation of yoga therapy. Results focused on several key themes: feasibility from the therapist and administrator perspectives, challenges to implementation, and utility and benefit. Overall, the implementation and integration of yoga therapy were positive; however, some programmatic and policy and organizational considerations remain. Implications for practice and future research are provided.

Mathematical epidemiology

CERN Document Server

Driessche, Pauline; Wu, Jianhong

2008-01-01

Based on lecture notes of two summer schools with a mixed audience from mathematical sciences, epidemiology and public health, this volume offers a comprehensive introduction to basic ideas and techniques in modeling infectious diseases, for the comparison of strategies to plan for an anticipated epidemic or pandemic, and to deal with a disease outbreak in real time. It covers detailed case studies for diseases including pandemic influenza, West Nile virus, and childhood diseases. Models for other diseases including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, fox rabies, and sexually transmitted infections are included as applications. Its chapters are coherent and complementary independent units. In order to accustom students to look at the current literature and to experience different perspectives, no attempt has been made to achieve united writing style or unified notation. Notes on some mathematical background (calculus, matrix algebra, differential equations, and probability) have been prepared and may be downlo...

Qualities of Inpatient Hospital Rooms: Patients' Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Devlin, Ann Sloan; Andrade, Cláudia Campos; Carvalho, Diana

2016-04-01

The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate what design features of hospital rooms are valued by inpatients. Little research has explored how patients evaluate the physical environment of their hospital rooms. Most responses are captured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, which includes only two questions about the physical environment. Two hundred thirty-six orthopedic patients (78 in the United States and 158 in Portugal) listed three features of their hospital room that influenced their level of satisfaction with their hospital stay, indicating whether the feature was positive or negative. The comments were more positive (71.4%) than negative (28.6%). Using the framework of supportive design from Ulrich, over half the comments (64.31%) could be categorized in one of the three dimensions: 33.2% (positive distraction), 22.4% (perceived control), and 6.0% (social support). This total includes Internet (2.7%), which could be categorized as either social support or positive distraction. Comments called "other aspects" focused on overall environmental appraisals, cleanliness, and functionality and maintenance. The majority of comments could be accommodated by Ulrich's theory, but it is noteworthy that other aspects emerge from patients' comments and affect their experience. Cross-cultural differences pointed to the greater role of light and sun for Portuguese patients and health status whiteboard for U.S. Qualitative research can add significantly to our understanding of the healthcare experience and may inform design decisions. © The Author(s) 2015.

Trauma na infância e adolescência: epidemiologia, tratamento e aspectos econômicos em um hospital público Epidemiology, treatment and economical aspects of multiple trauma in children and adolescents in a public hospital

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Carlos Eduardo da Silveira Franciozi

2008-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: A realização deste trabalho foi motivada pela escassez de artigos encontrados na literatura que estudam o politrauma na infância e na adolescência.. O objetivo é descrever o perfil epidemiológico das lesões traumáticas na infância tratadas num centro de trauma, avaliar os aspectos econômicos relacionados com o gasto hospitalar e o tempo de internação de acordo com o tratamento realizado. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: analisamos todos os prontuários do hospital Geral de Pirajussara no período de dezembro de 2005 a dezembro de 2006. Obtivemos 182 pacientes, sendo 71% do sexo masculino e 29% do feminino; 48% brancos e 52% não brancos. RESULTADOS: houve predominância dos indivíduos do sexo masculino com 71% dos pacientes. O mecanismo de trauma mais freqüente foi a queda (36%. A média de dias de internação foi 4,1 dias, com gasto estimado de R$ 649,50 para cada paciente. A taxa de mortalidade foi de 2,74%, sendo o traumatismo crânio-encefálico responsável por 80% da mortalidade e os maus tratos presentes em 40% dos óbitos. CONCLUSÃO: a população pediátrica tem particularidades que a tornam distinta da população adulta em relação à epidemiologia e manejo das lesões.INTRODUCTION: the motivation to conduct this study was the reduced number of articles in literature correlating multiple trauma in childhood and infancy. The objective here was to describe the epidemiological profile of traumatic injuries treated in a trauma center, evaluating the economic aspects associated with hospitalized patients' costs and the period of hospital stay according to the treatment provided. MATERIAL AND METHODS: we assessed all Pirajussara Hospital patients' files in the period of December of 2005 to December 2006. We selected 182 patients, 129 (71% males and 53 (29% females; 88 (48% Caucasian and 94 (52% non-Caucasian children. RESULTS: male patients were prevalent, with 129 (71% cases. The most frequent trauma mechanism was fall

Ethics, big data and computing in epidemiology and public health.

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Salerno, Jennifer; Knoppers, Bartha M; Lee, Lisa M; Hlaing, WayWay M; Goodman, Kenneth W

2017-05-01

This article reflects on the activities of the Ethics Committee of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE). Members of the Ethics Committee identified an opportunity to elaborate on knowledge gained since the inception of the original Ethics Guidelines published by the ACE Ethics and Standards of Practice Committee in 2000. The ACE Ethics Committee presented a symposium session at the 2016 Epidemiology Congress of the Americas in Miami on the evolving complexities of ethics and epidemiology as it pertains to "big data." This article presents a summary and further discussion of that symposium session. Three topic areas were presented: the policy implications of big data and computing, the fallacy of "secondary" data sources, and the duty of citizens to contribute to big data. A balanced perspective is needed that provides safeguards for individuals but also furthers research to improve population health. Our in-depth review offers next steps for teaching of ethics and epidemiology, as well as for epidemiological research, public health practice, and health policy. To address contemporary topics in the area of ethics and epidemiology, the Ethics Committee hosted a symposium session on the timely topic of big data. Technological advancements in clinical medicine and genetic epidemiology research coupled with rapid advancements in data networks, storage, and computation at a lower cost are resulting in the growth of huge data repositories. Big data increases concerns about data integrity; informed consent; protection of individual privacy, confidentiality, and harm; data reidentification; and the reporting of faulty inferences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utility of Whole-Genome Sequencing in Characterizing Acinetobacter Epidemiology and Analyzing Hospital Outbreaks

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Fitzpatrick, Margaret A.; Hauser, Alan R.

2015-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii frequently causes nosocomial infections and outbreaks. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is a promising technique for strain typing and outbreak investigations. We compared the performance of conventional methods with WGS for strain typing clinical Acinetobacter isolates and analyzing a carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) outbreak. We performed two band-based typing techniques (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR), multilocus sequence type (MLST) analysis, and WGS on 148 Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex bloodstream isolates collected from a single hospital from 2005 to 2012. Phylogenetic trees inferred from core-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) confirmed three Acinetobacter species within this collection. Four major A. baumannii clonal lineages (as defined by MLST) circulated during the study, three of which are globally distributed and one of which is novel. WGS indicated that a threshold of 2,500 core SNPs accurately distinguished A. baumannii isolates from different clonal lineages. The band-based techniques performed poorly in assigning isolates to clonal lineages and exhibited little agreement with sequence-based techniques. After applying WGS to a CRAB outbreak that occurred during the study, we identified a threshold of 2.5 core SNPs that distinguished nonoutbreak from outbreak strains. WGS was more discriminatory than the band-based techniques and was used to construct a more accurate transmission map that resolved many of the plausible transmission routes suggested by epidemiologic links. Our study demonstrates that WGS is superior to conventional techniques for A. baumannii strain typing and outbreak analysis. These findings support the incorporation of WGS into health care infection prevention efforts. PMID:26699703

Profesi Epidemiologi

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Buchari Lapau

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Makalah ini pertama kali menjelaskan perlu adanya profesi kesehatan masyarakat dalam rangka pembangunan kesehatan. Lalu dijelaskan apa profesi itu dan standar keberadaan profesi, atas dasar mana dapat ditetapkan bahwa pelayanan epidemiologi merupakan salah satu profesi. Dalam rangka pembinaan profesi kesehatan masyarakat, IAKMI dan APTKMI telah membentuk Majelis Kolegium Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia (MKKMI yang terdiri atas 8 kolegium antara lain Kolegium Epidemiologi, yang telah menyusun Standar Profesi Epidemiologi yang terdiri atas beberapa standar. Masing-masing standar dijelaskan mulai dari kurikulum, standar pelayanan epidmiologi, profil epidemiolog kesehatan, peran epidemiolog kesehatan, fungsi epidemiolog kesehatan, standar kompetensi epidemiologi, dan standar pendidikan profesi epidemiologi.

[Epidemiological clinical and laboratory characterization of sporotrichosis in patients of a tertiary care hospital in Lima, Peru, from 1991 to 2014].

Science.gov (United States)

Oyarce, James A; García, Coralith; Alave, Jorge; Bustamante, Beatriz

2016-06-01

Sporothricosis is endemic in numerous Latin American countries and the rest of the world. In Peru is concentrated in regions with warm and humid climate being little known in the rest of the country. To describe the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients diagnosed of sporotrichosis in a tertiary-care level hospital in Lima, Peru from 1991 to 2014. This was a retrospective, case series. Ninety four patients were involved; most of them were male adults. This condition was acquired more frequently in Cajamarca, Apurímac, and Amazonas. Fixed and lymphocutaneous form were the most frequent forms of presentation in adults and were mostly distributed in upper limbs. Lesions located in head and neck were most frequent in children. Comorbidities were present in 15% of patients and were more frequent in those who presented disseminated cutaneous form. Seventy eight percent of cultures from skin lesions were positive within 7 days. The time to positivity of cultures was longer if the sample came from skin biopsies than skin scraping or skin aspiration. Most cases of sporotrichosis were acquired in areas of extreme poverty in Peru. The clinical, epidemiological and laboratory findings were similar to those reported elsewhere. The time to positivity of cultures varies based on the type of skin sample. This finding needs to be further evaluated in studies with an increased number of cases.

The epidemiology of Scottish trauma: A comparison of pre-hospital and in-hospital deaths, 2000 to 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Jonathan J; Yapp, Liam Z; Beattie, Anne; Devlin, Eimar; Samarage, Milan; McCaffer, Craig; Jansen, Jan O

2016-02-01

To characterise the temporal trends and urban-rural distribution of fatal injuries in Scotland through the analysis of mortality data collected by the National Records of Scotland. The prospectively collected NRS database was queried using ICD-10 codes for all Scottish trauma deaths during the period 2000 to 2011. Patients were divided into pre-hospital and in-hospital groups depending on the location of death. Incidence was plotted against time and linear regression was used to identify temporal trends. A total of 13,100 deaths were analysed. There were 4755 (36.3%) patients in the pre-hospital group with a median age (IQR) of 42 (28-58) years. The predominant cause of pre-hospital death related to vehicular injury (27.8%), which had a decreasing trend over the study period (p = 0.004). In-hospital, patients had a median age of 80 (58-88) years and the majority (67.0%) of deaths occurred following a fall on the level. This trend was shown to increase over the decade of study (p = 0.020). In addition, the incidence of urban incidents remained static, but the rate of rural fatal trauma decreased (p Scottish trauma patients die prior to hospital admission and the predominant mechanism of injury is due to road traffic accidents. This contrasts with in-hospital deaths, which are mainly observed in elderly patients following a fall from standing height. Further research is required to determine the preventability of fatal traumatic injury in Scotland. Copyright © 2015 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation Patients with Urinary Stones from the Aspect of Epidemiologic Parameters Admitted at Urology Department of Imam Reza Hospital During Years 2005-2008

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K. Tavakkoli Tabassi

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Urolithiasis is one of the most frequent diseases of urinary system which forms high percentage of patients who come to Urology wards. Therefore, study of epidemiological characteristics of patients of each ward can be helpful for making the best general decision. Methods: First, we devided 5133 cases who had come to Urology department of imam Reza hospital of mashhad during 2005-2008, in 2 groups and then in 6 groups. We investigated and compared 2 groups of lithotripsy and surgery from the aspect of epidemiological characteristics. So, we did for 6 groups: pyelolithotomy and nephrolithotomy, ureterolithotomy, ureteroscopy and TUL, PNL, ESWL, cystolitholapaxy. Results: From 5133 cases, mean age of 43.41, men to female ratio 2.1, 90.1% had done lithotripsy and 9.2% surgery. Percentage of patients of pyelolithotomy and nephrolithotomy was 3.5% ureterolithotomy 0.8%, ureteroscopy and TUL39.5%, PNL 4.9%, ESWL 49.5%, cystolitholapaxy 1.9%. Mean stay in hospital for 1.31±0.19 and for surgery 4.84±0.16, in ESWL 0.81±0.25 and in pyelolithotomy and nephrolithotomy 5.09±0.17 days. During years 2005-2008 percentage of ESWL was : 59.9, 51.4 & 38.4% of all admissions in these years. PNLs percentage was: 3.8, 5.51, 5.53%. Choosing of PNL in urban people was highest (84.5% and for rural people pyelolithotomy and nephrolithotomy is the most technique in use. Conclusion: Despite of other advanced countries high percentage of our patients undergo open surgery especially in rural people, yet. So, we should provide facilities of education and financials for modern and lower costs of urinary tract stone treatments.

Epidemiology and outcomes of children with renal failure in the pediatric ward of a tertiary hospital in Cameroon.

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Halle, Marie Patrice; Lapsap, Carine Tsou; Barla, Esther; Fouda, Hermine; Djantio, Hilaire; Moudze, Beatrice Kaptue; Akazong, Christophe Adjahoung; Priso, Eugene Belley

2017-12-06

Pediatric nephrology is challenging in developing countries and data on the burden of kidney disease in children is difficult to estimate due to absence of renal registries. We aimed to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of children with renal failure in Cameroon. We retrospectively reviewed 103 medical records of children from 0 to 17 years with renal failure admitted in the Pediatric ward of the Douala General Hospital from 2004 to 2013. Renal failure referred to either acute kidney injury (AKI) or Stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). AKI was defined and graded using either the modified RIFLE criteria or the Pediatrics RIFLE criteria, while CKD was graded using the KDIGO criteria. Outcomes of interest were need and access to dialysis and in-hospital mortality. For patients with AKI renal recovery was evaluated at 3 months. Median age was 84 months (1QR:15-144) with 62.1% males. Frequent clinical symptoms were asthenia, anorexia, 68.8% of participants had anuria. AKI accounted for 84.5% (n = 87) and CKD for 15.5% (n = 16). Chronic glomerulonephritis (9/16) and urologic malformations (7/16) were the causes of CKD and 81.3% were at stage 5. In the AKI subgroup, 86.2% were in stage F, with acute tubular necrosis (n = 50) and pre-renal AKI (n = 31) being the most frequent mechanisms. Sepsis, severe malaria, hypovolemia and herbal concoction were the main etiologies. Eight of 14 (57%) patients with CKD, and 27 of 40 (67.5%) with AKI who required dialysis, accessed it. In-hospital mortality was 50.7% for AKI and 50% for CKD. Of the 25 patients in the AKI group with available data at 3 months, renal recovery was complete in 22, partial in one and 2 were dialysis dependent. Factors associated to mortality were young age (p = 0.001), presence of a coma (p = 0.021), use of herbal concoction (p = 0.024) and acute pulmonary edema (p = 0.011). Renal failure is severe and carries a high mortality in hospitalized children in Cameroon

Casemix reimbursement: a Singapore Children's Hospital perspective.

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Yoong, S L

2001-07-01

Casemix reimbursement was introduced to Singapore in October 1999 using the Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups Version 3.1 (AN-DRGs 3.1). The possible impact of this classification system on a Singapore Children's Hospital is discussed. Data on paediatric patients in KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) were drawn from the inhouse Datamart warehouse system, and reviewed with regards to volume of patients, length of stay and charges. Several high cost categories were selected for a more in-depth review and discussed. The classification system and reimbursement method did not take into account the higher cost of treating children, thus penalising the Children's Hospital. The wide variety of cases treated also gave rise to difficulty in obtaining appropriate reimbursement. The lack of severity of illness measures was a drawback in the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) for ventilated patients. The lack of outcome measures gave rise to potentially inequitable reimbursement in some high cost neonatal DRGs. While Casemix is an improvement over previous methods of providing Government funding in Singapore, particular aspects need to be reviewed, and reimbursement criteria refined to ensure equitable funding to Children's Hospital.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Dementia Treatment in Croatia.

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Tomasović, Sanja; Sremec, Josip; Košćak, Jelena; Klepac, Nataša; Draganić, Pero; Bielen, Ivan

2016-06-01

In spite of the increase in the number of patients with dementia in countries with older population, basic epidemiologic data are still scarce. The objective of this paper is to investigate pharmacoepidemiological characteristics of treatment of dementia in Croatia, and to present them in the context of certain epidemiological characteristics that illustrate the growing pressure this disease exerts on the healthcare system. Data on medication utilization were taken from Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) and Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices of Croatia (HALMED). Data on the number of hospital stays were supplied by Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ). Internal data on the number of outpatient examinations from the Clinical hospital "Sveti Duh" were used as well. In the observed period (2012-2014), 4568 patients were treated with anti-dementia medications, of which 1275 (32%) with donepezil, and 2753 (68%) with memantine. According to HALMED, the utilization of those medications is constantly increasing, and has increased manifold from 2005 to 2014. The estimate of the proportion of treated patients with dementia aged 60 years and over is around 9.2%. The number of dementia-related hospital stays is also increasing, and has increased by 9.6% in the last 5-year period, compared to the preceding 5-year period. The number of outpatient examinations in Clinical Hospital "Sveti Duh" grew from 351 in 2007 to 1151 in 2015 (January 1(st) - October 26(th)). The strain this condition exerts on the healthcare system is increasing yearly. In spite of the large increase in the medication utilization over the previous years, the proportion of treated patients is still small, and further increase in their use is to be expected. It is necessary to monitor this in the years ahead.

Particulate matter and heart disease: Evidence from epidemiological studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, Annette

2005-01-01

The association between particulate matter and heart disease was noted in the mid-nineties of last century when the epidemiological evidence for an association between air pollution and hospital admissions due to cardiovascular disease accumulated and first hypotheses regarding the pathomechanism were formulated. Nowadays, epidemiological studies have demonstrated coherent associations between daily changes in concentrations of ambient particles and cardiovascular disease mortality, hospital admission, disease exacerbation in patients with cardiovascular disease and early physiological responses in healthy individuals consistent with a risk factor profile deterioration. In addition, evidence was found that annual average PM 2.5 exposures are associated with increased risks for mortality caused by ischemic heart disease and dysrhythmia. Thereby, evidence is suggesting not only a short-term exacerbation of cardiovascular disease by ambient particle concentrations but also a potential role of particles in defining patients' vulnerability to acute coronary events. While this concept is consistent with the current understanding of the factors defining patients' vulnerability, the mechanisms and the time-scales on which the particle-induced vulnerability might operate are unknown

Nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture in Jordanian hospitals.

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Khater, W A; Akhu-Zaheya, L M; Al-Mahasneh, S I; Khater, R

2015-03-01

Patients' safety culture is a key aspect in determining healthcare organizations' ability to address and reduce risks of patients. Nurses play a major role in patients' safety because they are accountable for direct and continuous patient care. There is little known information about patients' safety culture in Jordanian hospitals, particularly from the perspective of healthcare providers. The study aimed to assess patient safety culture in Jordanian hospitals from nurses' perspective. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was utilized. A total number of 658 nurses participated in the current study. Data were collected using an Arabic version of the hospital survey of patients' safety culture. Teamwork within unit dimensions had a high positive response, and was perceived by nurses to be the only strong suit in Jordanian hospitals. Areas that required improvement, as perceived by nurses, are as follows: communication openness, staffing, handoff and transition, non-punitive responses to errors, and teamwork across units. Regression analysis revealed factors, from nurses' perspectives, that influenced patients' safety culture in Jordanian hospital. Factors included age, total years of experience, working in university hospitals, utilizing evidence-based practice and working in hospitals that consider patient safety to be a priority. Participants in this study were limited to nurses. Therefore, there is a need to assess patient safety culture from other healthcare providers' perspectives. Moreover, the use of a self-reported questionnaire introduced the social desirability biases. The current study provides insight into how nurses perceive patient safety culture. Results of this study have revealed that there is a need to replace the traditional culture of shame/blame with a non-punitive culture. Study results implied that improving patient safety culture requires a fundamental transformation of nurses' work environment. New policies to improve collaboration between

Burden of hospitalizations for pandemic influenza in Slovenia

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Sočan, Maja

2011-01-01

Aim To analyze the 2009/2010 epidemiological data of patients hospitalized for confirmed pandemic influenza in Slovenia. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of health statistical data collected in an electronic data set Diagnosis-related Group system. Data on age, sex, primary and secondary diagnoses, duration of hospital stay, admission to the intensive care unit, disease outcome, and the week of the admission to the hospital were extracted for patients diagnosed with confirmed influenza virus infection. Results A total of 748 (hospitalization rate 37.4/100,000) patients diagnosed with confirmed influenza virus infection were admitted to 19 public hospitals and 7 private acute care providers during the period from September 28, 2009 to April 11, 2010. The highest admission rate was recorded for mid-November 2009. Out of 748 hospitalized patients, 411 (55%) were children younger than 15 years. Influenza was coded as the primary diagnosis in 536 patients. In 35% of the patients, influenza caused viral pneumonia. Fewer than one third of patients (28%) had a pre-existing chronic disease and/or condition predisposing them to complicated or adverse outcomes of influenza, most frequently chronic lung diseases, mainly asthma. A median hospital stay was 2 days for children and 5 days for adult patients. Longer hospitalization was required in patients who had a secondary diagnosis of influenza. Older male individuals suffering from pneumonia and chronic diseases were overrepresented among cases admitted to the intensive care units. Conclusions The epidemiological data extracted from the Diagnosis-related Group system in Slovenia were comparable with the data on pandemic patients published elsewhere. PMID:21495197

Clinical Epidemiology Of Stroke

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Nagaraja D

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Stroke is a huge public health problem because of its high morbidity and disability. The epidemiology of stroke is of relevance to construct practical paradigms to tackle this major health issue in the community. Recent data have shown that about 72-86% of strokes are ischemic, 9-18% are due to hemorrhage (intracerebral of subarachnoid and the rest are undefined. The risk factors for stroke are multiple and combined. At present, stroke is no more considered as unavoidable and untreatable. It is an emergency and specialized units and teams improve outcome and lower costs. Death related to stroke is declining in many countries and in both sexes. This decrease in multifactorial. The detection and more effective treatment of hypertension may play an important factor, as well as the improved medical care and improvement in diagnostic procedures. While stroke incidence appears stable and stroke mortality is slowly declining, the absolute magnitude of stroke is likely to grow over the next 30 years. as the population ages, the absolute number of stroke victims and demands on healthcare and other support systems is likely to increase substantially in the future. Keeping this in perspective, this chapter shall focus on the epidemiology of stroke in the world and in Indian, in particular.

Epidemiology of Hospitalizations Associated with Invasive Candidiasis, United States, 2002–20121

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Strollo, Sara; Lionakis, Michail S.; Adjemian, Jennifer; Steiner, Claudia A.

2017-01-01

Invasive candidiasis is a major nosocomial fungal disease in the United States associated with high rates of illness and death. We analyzed inpatient hospitalization records from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to estimate incidence of invasive candidiasis–associated hospitalizations in the United States. We extracted data for 33 states for 2002–2012 by using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification, for invasive candidiasis; we excluded neonatal cases. The overall age-adjusted average annual rate was 5.3 hospitalizations/100,000 population. Highest risk was for adults >65 years of age, particularly men. Median length of hospitalization was 21 days; 22% of patients died during hospitalization. Median unadjusted associated cost for inpatient care was $46,684. Age-adjusted annual rates decreased during 2005–2012 for men (annual change –3.9%) and women (annual change –4.5%) and across nearly all age groups. We report a high mortality rate and decreasing incidence of hospitalizations for this disease. PMID:27983497

[Requirements for the organization of pain therapy in hospitals: interdepartmental comparison for pain management from the employees' perspective].

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Erlenwein, J; Ufer, G; Hecke, A; Pfingsten, M; Bauer, M; Petzke, F

2013-12-01

In recent decades, the focus of pain management in hospitals was the organization and quality of control of postoperative pain, although there is a similar demand in nonsurgical departments. The aim of this study was to assess the employees' perspective on problems and corresponding solutions in pain management in a university hospital and to further clarify whether the implementation of concepts and tools of pain management across disciplines is feasible. Physicians and nursing staff of all inpatient departments of the University Hospital Göttingen were asked about problems in pain management and the importance of various established instruments using a standardized questionnaire. Ratings were recorded on a numeric rating scale (0-10). The analysis was primarily descriptive, the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test were used when appropriate. In all, 149 medical and 501 nursing employees were included. The quality of pain management was perceived as better in surgical departments than in the conservative and pediatric departments. In all areas, the lack of an adequate order for baseline- and rescue-analgesic, and accordingly the nursing staff's limited ability to act was rated as problematic. In contrast to the conservative and pediatric departments, the predominant problem of surgical departments was the lack of availability of physicians on the ward. As a solution, the advice provided by pain consultation services was rated highly by the staff in all areas. The importance of implementation of standardized analgesic concepts was also supported equally in all areas. The evaluation of the quality of pain management was related to the employee's estimation of their ability to actively treat pain. Physicians rated problems in quality and organization lower compared to nursing stuff. The results demonstrate that from the employee's perspective problems in pain management in surgical and nonsurgical departments are very similar. Transferring concepts and structures

Epidemiological characteristics of Candida species colonizing oral and rectal sites of Jordanian infants

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Aqel Kamal F

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is evidence that Candida colonization contributes to increasing invasion of candidiasis in hospitalized neonates. Few studies investigated the epidemiology and risk factors of Candida colonization among hospitalized and non-hospitalized infants. This prospective study investigated the major epidemiological characteristics of Candida species colonizing oral and rectal sites of Jordanian infants. Methods Infants aged one year or less who were examined at the pediatrics outpatient clinic or hospitalized at the Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan, were included in this study. Culture swabs were collected from oral and rectal sites and inoculated on Sabouraud dextrose agar. All Candida isolates were confirmed by the Remel RapID yeast plus system, and further investigated for specific virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility MIC using E-test. Genotyping of C. albicans isolates was determined using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD analysis method. Results A total of 61/492 (12.4% infants were colonized with Candida species by either their oral/rectal sites or both. Rectal colonization was significantly more detected than oral colonization (64.6% verses 35.4%, particularly among hospitalized infants aged more than one month. The pattern and rates of colonization were as follows: C. albicans was the commonest species isolated from both sites and accounted for 67.1% of all isolates, followed by C.kefyr (11.4%, each C. tropicalis and C. glabrata (8.9% and C. parapsilosis (3.8%. A various rates of Candida isolates proved to secrete putative virulence factors in vitro; asparatyl proteinase, phospholipase and hemolysin. C. albicans were associated significantly (P Candida species. All Candida isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B and caspofungin, whereas 97% of Candida species isolates were susceptible to fluconazole using E-test. The genetic similarity of 53 C. albicans isolates as demonstrated by dendrogram

Epidemiologic study of Kawasaki disease at a single hospital in Daejeon, Korea (1987 through 2000).

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Lee, Kyung-Yil; Han, Ji-Whan; Lee, Hyung-Shin; Hong, Ja-Hyun; Hahn, Seung-Hoon; Lee, Joon-Sung; Whang, Kyung-Tai

2004-01-01

We evaluated the epidemiology and a range of clinical characteristics in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in one area of South Korea. We retrospectively analyzed 506 medical records of children with KD, who were admitted at Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital from January 1987 through December 2000. The mean annual frequency was 36.1 +/- 11.1 cases per year. There were 55 cases (10.9%) in 1993, 50 cases (9.9%) in 1994 and 47 cases (9.3%) in 2000. There was a slightly higher occurrence in summer with no significant difference in seasonal frequency. Age distribution ranged from 2 months to 13 years of age (mean, 2.4 +/- 1.7 years) and 485 children (95.8%) were 500 mg/day for 4 to 5 days, 231 cases, 45.7%) and one dose IVIG (2.0 g/kg, 210 cases, 41.5%) were used. Between 1996 and 2000, 143 cases were treated with only one dose IVIG, and 21 cases (14.7%) showed coronary artery lesions (CAL). Among the 143 cases 22 cases (15.4%) were retreated with IVIG and/or steroid pulse therapy. The incidence of CAL in this group was 50.0%. In Daejeon, Korea, KD showed slight annual variations without seasonal differences. The rate of CAL in acute stage with one dose IVIG therapy (2 g/kg) was 8.3% in the IVIG responders.

Measuring the experience of hospitality : Scale development and validation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pijls-Hoekstra, Ruth; Groen, Brenda H.; Galetzka, Mirjam; Pruyn, Adriaan T.H.

2017-01-01

This paper identifies what customers experience as hospitality and subsequently presents a novel and compact assessment scale for measuring customers’ experience of hospitality at any kind of service organization. The Experience of Hospitality Scale (EH-Scale) takes a broader perspective compared to

Coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations, California, USA, 2000-2011.

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Sondermeyer, Gail; Lee, Lauren; Gilliss, Debra; Tabnak, Farzaneh; Vugia, Duc

2013-10-01

In the past decade, state-specific increases in the number of reported cases of coccidioidomycosis have been observed in areas of California and Arizona where the disease is endemic. Although most coccidioidomycosis is asymptomatic or mild, infection can lead to severe pulmonary or disseminated disease requiring hospitalization and costly disease management. To determine the epidemiology of cases and toll of coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations in California, we reviewed hospital discharge data for 2000-2011. During this period, there were 25,217 coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations for 15,747 patients and >$2 billion US in total hospital charges. Annual initial hospitalization rates increased from 2.3 initial hospitalizations/100,000 population in 2000 to 5.0 initial hospitalizations/100,000 population in 2011. During this period, initial hospitalization rates were higher for men than women, African Americans and Hispanics than Whites, and older persons than younger persons. In California, the increasing health- and cost-related effects of coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations are a major public health challenge.

Epidemiology of Blood Stream Infection due to Candida Species in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Japan over 12 Years: Importance of Peripheral Line-Associated Candidemia.

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Masahiro Ishikane

Full Text Available Candidemia is an important cause of mortality in healthcare settings. Peripheral lines are a source of candidemia, yet few studies have reported on the clinico-epidemiological features of candidemia due to peripheral-line associated blood stream infection (PLABSI.We conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study of all patients with candidemia between 2002 and 2013. PLABSI was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: the presence of phlebitis or the resolution of clinical symptoms after peripheral-line withdrawal, with careful exclusion of an alternative explanation for bacteraemia. We described the epidemiology of candidemia and assessed predictive factors of PLABSI due to Candida spp., peripheral line-associated candidemia (PLAC, compared with non-PLAC.A total of 301 episodes of candidemia, including 37 of PLAC, were diagnosed during the study period. Central-line associated blood stream infection, intra-abdominal infection, and infection of unknown source accounted for the remaining 233, 14, and 17 cases, respectively. The overall incidence rate of candidemia was 0.11/1000 patient-days. In multivariate analysis, cephalosporin exposure (odds ratio [OR] = 2.22, 95% CI 1.04-4.77, polymicrobial bacteraemia/fungaemia (OR = 2.87, 95% CI 1.02-8.10, and ID specialist consultation (OR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.13-5.13 were identified as independent predictors of PLAC. Although non-PLAC had a higher mortality, the length of hospital stay after candidemia was similar between the two groups and candidemia duration was longer in the PLAC group.PLACs are an important cause of candidemia in hospitalized patients. Appropriate identification and management of PLAC are crucial.

Hospital networks and the dispersal of hospital-acquired pathogens by patient transfer.

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Tjibbe Donker

Full Text Available Hospital-acquired infections (HAI are often seen as preventable incidents that result from unsafe practices or poor hospital hygiene. This however ignores the fact that transmissibility is not only a property of the causative organisms but also of the hosts who can translocate bacteria when moving between hospitals. In an epidemiological sense, hospitals become connected through the patients they share. We here postulate that the degree of hospital connectedness crucially influences the rates of infections caused by hospital-acquired bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we mapped the movement of patients based on the UK-NHS Hospital Episode Statistics and observed that the proportion of patients admitted to a hospital after a recent episode in another hospital correlates with the hospital-specific incidence rate of MRSA bacteraemia as recorded by mandatory reporting. We observed a positive correlation between hospital connectedness and MRSA bacteraemia incidence rate that is significant for all financial years since 2001 except for 2008-09. All years combined, this correlation is positive and significantly different from zero (partial correlation coefficient r = 0.33 (0.28 to 0.38. When comparing the referral pattern for English hospitals with referral patterns observed in the Netherlands, we predict that English hospitals more likely see a swifter and more sustained spread of HAIs. Our results indicate that hospitals cannot be viewed as individual units but rather should be viewed as connected elements of larger modular networks. Our findings stress the importance of cooperative effects that will have a bearing on the planning of health care systems, patient management and hospital infection control.

Experiential Learning in Hospitality Management Education

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Brennen, Paul George

2017-01-01

The research study recognized that, although the knowledge obtained from academic textbooks and traditional classes are important to post-secondary hospitality management curriculum as they provide numerous insights and perspectives of different methods to manage a particular avenue within the hospitality industry; it is not the only aspect of the…

Epidemiology of dengue disease in Malaysia (2000-2012): a systematic literature review.

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Mohd-Zaki, Abdul Hamid; Brett, Jeremy; Ismail, Ellyana; L'Azou, Maïna

2014-01-01

A literature survey and analysis was conducted to describe the epidemiology of dengue disease in Malaysia between 2000 and 2012. Published literature was searched for epidemiological studies of dengue disease, using specific search strategies for each electronic database; 237 relevant data sources were identified, 28 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The epidemiology of dengue disease in Malaysia was characterized by a non-linear increase in the number of reported cases from 7,103 in 2000 to 46,171 in 2010, and a shift in the age range predominance from children toward adults. The overall increase in dengue disease was accompanied by a rise in the number, but not the proportion, of severe cases. The dominant circulating dengue virus serotypes changed continually over the decade and differed between states. Several gaps in epidemiological knowledge were identified; in particular, studies of regional differences, age-stratified seroprevalence, and hospital admissions. PROSPERO #CRD42012002293.

Barriers to Observance of the Codes of Professional Ethics in Clinical Care: Perspectives of Nurses and Midwifery of Hospitals Affiliated with Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2016

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Imaneh khaki

2018-02-01

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, individual care-related factors were among the most important barriers to observing professional ethics from the perspectives of nurses and midwives working in hospitals.  

Aspergillosis in Intensive Care Unit (ICU patients: epidemiology and economic outcomes

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Baddley John W

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Few data are available regarding the epidemiology of invasive aspergillosis (IA in ICU patients. The aim of this study was to examine epidemiology and economic outcomes (length of stay, hospital costs among ICU patients with IA who lack traditional risk factors for IA, such as cancer, transplants, neutropenia or HIV infection. Methods Retrospective cohort study using Premier Inc. Perspective™ US administrative hospital database (2005–2008. Adults with ICU stays and aspergillosis (ICD-9 117.3 plus 484.6 who received initial antifungal therapy (AF in the ICU were included. Patients with traditional risk factors (cancer, transplant, neutropenia, HIV/AIDS were excluded. The relationship of antifungal therapy and co-morbidities to economic outcomes were examined using Generalized linear models. Results From 6,424 aspergillosis patients in the database, 412 (6.4% ICU patients with IA were identified. Mean age was 63.9 years and 53% were male. Frequent co-morbidities included steroid use (77%, acute respiratory failure (76% and acute renal failure (41%. In-hospital mortality was 46%. The most frequently used AF was voriconazole (71% received at least once. Mean length of stay (LOS was 26.9 days and mean total hospital cost was $76,235. Each 1 day lag before initiating AF therapy was associated with 1.28 days longer hospital stay and 3.5% increase in costs (p  Conclusions Invasive aspergillosis in ICU patients is associated with high mortality and hospital costs. Antifungal timing impacts economic outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and consideration of Aspergillus as a potential etiology in ICU patients.

COPD in Taiwan: a National Epidemiology Survey

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Cheng SL

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Shih-Lung Cheng,1,2 Ming-Cheng Chan,3 Chin-Chou Wang,4 Ching-Hsiung Lin,5 Hao-Chien Wang,6 Jeng-Yuan Hsu,3 Liang-Wen Hang,7,8 Chee-Jen Chang,9 Diahn-Warng Perng,10,* Chong-Jen Yu6,* On behalf of the Taiwan COPD Consortium 1Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li City, Taoyuan County, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 4Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 5Division of Chest Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua City, Changhua County, 6Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 7Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine Center, China Medical University Hospital, 8Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Health Care, China Medical University, Taichung, 9Biostatistical Center for Clinical Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch, Guishan Township, Taoyuan County, 10Department of Chest Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objectives: To determine the prevalence of COPD in Taiwan and to document the disease characteristics and associated risk factors.Methods: We conducted a random cross-sectional national survey of adults older than 40 years in Taiwan. Respiratory health screening questions identified subjects with diagnosed COPD or whose reported symptoms also fulfilled an epidemiological case definition; these were eligible to complete the survey, which also included indices of symptom severity and disability and questions on comorbidities, medical treatments, smoking habits, and occupations potentially harmful to respiratory health. Subjects with diagnosed COPD were subdivided by smoking status. Subjects who fulfilled the case definition

Children's psychological responses to hospitalization.

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Vessey, Judith A

2003-01-01

The data-based literature addressing children's psychological responses to hospitalization was reviewed using methods outlined by Cooper (1989). Using a developmental science perspective, early research was reviewed and a model of variables that contribute to children's responses was constructed. This model consists of three major foci, including maturational and cognitive variables (developmental level, experience, coping style), ecological variables (family and hospital milieu), and biological variables (inborn factors and pathophysiology). Coping serves as the overarching framework for examining these variables and their contributions to children's responses to hospitalization. A variety of theoretical perspectives from the social sciences have been used, with psychoanalytic and stress and adaptation theories predominating. The majority of the research used simple case study, descriptive, or pre- and post-test designs. Methodologic issues were common. Little qualitative work has been done. Future research directions call for studies to adopt new theoretical and empirical models that are methodologically rigorous and clinically relevant and that embrace the precepts of developmental science.

Health physics operations in hospitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, W.; Trott, N.G.

1984-01-01

The special problems of applying the basic principles of radiological protection in the environment of a hospital are outlined, the hospital being not only a workplace but also the temporary home of the patients. In these circumstances, close co-operation is needed between all groups of hospital staff. Many technical innovations have been made over the past 50 years in the applications of both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation for diagnosis and therapy and, at the present time, an intensive development of these applications is in progress. Within that context, the role of health physics has become a major one. There is the need to provide high standards in radiological protection of the staff, of members of the public, and increasingly, of the patient. At the same time, there is the need to provide sound perspective on hazards arising from exposure to various forms of radiation, whether ionizing or non-ionizing, for that perspective will influence future developments in this field. (author)

Epidemiology of the infection by Angiostrongylus costaricensis diagnosed at the Hospital Nacional de Ninos 'Dr. Carlos Saenz Herrera': June 2010 - September 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas Calderon, Ingoberg

2014-01-01

Epidemiology, clinical morbidity and mortality are described in patients with infection by Angiostrongylus costaricensis at the Hospital Nacional de Ninos 'Dr. Carlos Saenz Herrera', of June 2010 - September 2013. 52 patients with diagnosis of infection by Angiostrongylus costaricensis are studied by identification of the parasite, their larvae or eggs, latex agglutination test and/or indirect immunofluorescence. The clinical findings, evolution and laboratory results are determined in the patients with A. costaricensis. The treatment used, conservative and surgical management are identified in the study patients. The latex agglutination has been the serologic method most used, cheaper and with more reliable results. The complications and mortality are determined. Pathologic findings are described in patients infected by A. costaricensis [es

A new perspective on hospital financial ratio analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeller, T L; Stanko, B B; Cleverley, W O

1997-11-01

Using audit financial data in a study of 2,189 not-for-profit hospitals for the period 1989-1992, six financial characteristics of performance were defined. These characteristics are profitability factor, fixed-asset efficiency, capital structure, fixed-asset age, working capital efficiency, and liquidity. The statistical output also shows the specific sets of financial ratios that can be used to measure the six characteristics of hospital performance. The results of this study can be beneficial to healthcare financial managers, hospital boards, policy groups, and other relevant entities because it affords them a clear understanding of an institution's financial performance.

Injury epidemiology in Iran: a systematic review

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Saber Azami-Aghdash

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Injuries are the second greatest cause of mortality in Iran. Information about the epidemiological pattern of injuries is effective in decision-making. In this regard, the aim of the current study is to elaborate on the epidemiology of injuries in Iran through a systematic review. Methods: Required data were collected searching the following key words and their Persian equivalents; trauma, injury, accident, epidemiology, prevalence, Pattern, etiology, risk factors and Iran. The following databases were searched: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, MagIran, Iranian scientific information database (SID and Iran Medex. Some of the relevant journals and web sites were searched manually. The lists of references from the selected articles were also investigated. We have also searched the gray literature and consulted some experts. Results: Out of 2747 retrieved articles, 25 articles were finally included in the review. A total of 3234481 cases have been investigated. Mean (SD age among these cases was 30 (17.4 years. Males comprised 75.7% of all the patients. Only 31.1% of patients were transferred to hospital by ambulance. The most common mechanism of injuries was road traffic accidents (50.1%, followed by falls (22.3%. In road traffic accidents, motorcyclists have accounted for the majority of victims (45%. Roads were the most common accident scene for the injuries (57.5%. The most common injuries were to the head and neck. (47.3%. The mean (SD Injury Severity Score (ISS was 8.1(8.6%. The overall case-fatality proportion was 3.8% and 75% of all the mortalities related to road traffic accidents. Conclusions: The main priorities in reducing the burden of injuries include: the young, male target group, improving pre-hospital and ambulance services, preventing road traffic accidents, improving road safety and the safety of motorcyclists (compulsory helmet use, safer vehicles, dedicated motorcycle lanes.

Epidemiological bases and molecular mechanisms linking obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Salmerón, María; Chocarro-Calvo, Ana; García-Martínez, José Manuel; de la Vieja, Antonio; García-Jiménez, Custodia

2017-02-01

The association between diabetes and cancer was hypothesized almost one century ago. Today, a vast number of epidemiological studies support that obese and diabetic populations are more likely to experience tissue-specific cancers, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Obesity, diabetes, and cancer share many hormonal, immune, and metabolic changes that may account for the relationship between diabetes and cancer. In addition, antidiabetic treatments may have an impact on the occurrence and course of some cancers. Moreover, some anticancer treatments may induce diabetes. These observations aroused a great controversy because of the ethical implications and the associated commercial interests. We report an epidemiological update from a mechanistic perspective that suggests the existence of many common and differential individual mechanisms linking obesity and type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus to certain cancers. The challenge today is to identify the molecular links responsible for this association. Classification of cancers by their molecular signatures may facilitate future mechanistic and epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2016 SEEN. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Epidemiología de campo y epidemiología social Field epidemiology and social epidemiology

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Javier Segura del Pozo

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Mediante la comparación de la epidemiología de campo y la epidemiología social, se pretende reflexionar sobre los imaginarios no explícitos que operan en ambos ámbitos, necesariamente convergentes, sobre los obstáculos de la práctica epidemiológica actual para alcanzar su función social y sobre la necesidad de cambiar las bases epistemológicas, metodológicas y prácticas que operan en la epidemiología, empezando por la formación del epidemiólogo de campo. La epidemiología de campo tiende a la acción sin marco teórico. La epidemiología social, por el contrario, tiende a los desarrollos teóricos (reflexión e investigación sobre los determinantes sociales alejados de la acción, debido a los limitantes para cambiar las políticas públicas. Otras diferencias se sitúan en el nivel de intervención (micro/macroespacios, el objeto de intervención (control del brote frente a control de las desigualdades y en la forma de articular la comunicación con la sociedad. Se asemejan en la preocupación por el método, la predominancia de una orientación positivista y condicionada por la estadística, aunque en proceso de cierta apertura epistemológica, la tensión experimentada entre relacionarse con un mundo virtual de bases de datos o con la sociedad real, su situación en la periferia del sistema político-social-institucional-profesional y por estar abocadas a la frustración profesional. Finalmente, se formulan 10 interrogantes a los epidemiólogos de campo sobre su práctica actual, a través de los cuales se podría evaluar si están realizando una epidemiología social, y se sugieren cambios para introducir en la formación y práctica del epidemiólogo.Comparing field epidemiology and social epidemiology, we pretend to think about the no explicit images and meanings operating in both necessary convergent fields, about the obstacles present in epidemiological practice to fulfil its social function and about the necessity of

Knowledge Management Orientation: An Innovative Perspective to Hospital Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi, Matina; Ghadiri Nejad, Mazyar; Bagzibagli, Kemal

2017-12-01

By considering innovation as a new project in hospitals, all the project management's standard steps should be followed in execution. This study investigated the validation of a new set of measures in terms of providing a procedure for knowledge management-oriented innovation that enriches the hospital management system. The relation between innovation and all the knowledge management areas, as the main constructs of project management, was illustrated by referring to project management standard steps and previous studies. Through consultations and meetings with a committee of professional project managers, a questionnaire was developed to measure ten knowledge management areas in hospital's innovation process. Additionally, a group of experts from hospital managers were invited to comment on the applicability of the questionnaires by considering if the items are measurable in hospitals practically. A close-ended, Likert-type scale items, consisted of ten sections, were developed based on project management body of knowledge thorough Delphi technique. It enables the managers to evaluate hospitals' situation to be aware whether the organization follows the knowledge management standards in innovation process or not. By pilot study, confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis were conducted to ensure the validity and reliability of the measurement items. The developed items seem to have a potential to help hospital managers and subsequently delivering new products/services successfully based on the standard procedures in their organization. In all innovation processes, the knowledge management areas and their standard steps help hospital managers by a new tool as questionnaire format.

The Natural Hospital Environment: a Socio-Technical-Material perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, Juanita; Dawson, Linda

2014-02-01

This paper introduces two concepts into analyses of information security and hospital-based information systems-- a Socio-Technical-Material theoretical framework and the Natural Hospital Environment. The research is grounded in a review of pertinent literature with previously published Australian (Victoria) case study data to analyse the way clinicians work with privacy and security in their work. The analysis was sorted into thematic categories, providing the basis for the Natural Hospital Environment and Socio-Technical-Material framework theories discussed here. Natural Hospital Environments feature inadequate yet pervasive computer use, aural privacy shortcomings, shared workspace, meagre budgets, complex regulation that hinders training outcomes and out-dated infrastructure and are highly interruptive. Working collaboratively in many cases, participants found ways to avoid or misuse security tools, such as passwords or screensavers for patient care. Workgroup infrastructure was old, architecturally limited, haphazard in some instances, and was less useful than paper handover sheets to ensure the quality of patient care outcomes. Despite valiant efforts by some participants, they were unable to control factors influencing the privacy of patient health information in public hospital settings. Future improvements to hospital-based organisational frameworks for e-health can only be made when there is an improved understanding of the Socio-Technical-Material theoretical framework and Natural Hospital Environment contexts. Aspects within control of clinicians and administrators can be addressed directly although some others are beyond their control. An understanding and acknowledgement of these issues will benefit the management and planning of improved and secure hospital settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hypokalaemia and subsequent hyperkalaemia in hospitalized patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.J. Crop (Meindert); E.J. Hoorn (Ewout); J. Lindemans (Jan); R. Zietse (Bob)

2007-01-01

textabstractBackground. The objective was to study the epidemiology of hypokalaemia [serum potassium concentration (SK) <3.5 mmol/l] in a general hospital population, specifically focusing on how often and why patients develop subsequent hyperkalaemia (SK<5.0 mmol/l). Methods. In a 3-month

Alternative Medicine. A Doctor's Perspective The ALLSA Handbook ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

on their way to or from The Spinney. They also went ... Back in Cape Town, there was no reason or need to ... dimension which unorthodox approaches often seem to provide .... Several authors are epidemiologists or health economists ... and epidemiological perspective (cost-effectiveness, validity, ... from our accountants.

Using path analysis to examine causal relationships among balanced scorecard performance indicators for general hospitals: the case of a public hospital system in Taiwan.

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Yang, Ming-Chin; Tung, Yu-Chi

2006-01-01

Examining whether the causal relationships among the performance indicators of the balanced scorecard (BSC) framework exist in hospitals is the aim of this article. Data were collected from all twenty-one general hospitals in a public hospital system and their supervising agency for the 3-year period, 2000-2002. The results of the path analyses identified significant causal relationships among four perspectives in the BSC model. We also verified the relationships among indicators within each perspective, some of which varied as time changed. We conclude that hospital administrators can use path analysis to help them identify and manage leading indicators when adopting the BSC model. However, they should also validate causal relationships between leading and lagging indicators periodically because the management environment changes constantly.

THE RIGHT TO SUTURES: SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatapuram, Sridhar; Bell, Ruth; Marmot, Michael

2013-01-01

The article examines the convergences and contrasts between social epidemiology, social medicine, and human rights approaches toward advancing global health and health equity. The first section describes the goals and work of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health. The second section discusses the role of human rights in the Commission’s work. The third section evaluates, from the perspective of social epidemiology, two rights-based approaches to advancing health and health equity as compared to a view that focuses more broadly on social justice. The concluding section identifies four areas where social epidemiologists, practitioners of social medicine, and health and human rights advocates can and must work together in order to make progress on health and health equity. PMID:21178186

Knowledge and Performance about Nursing Ethic Codes from Nurses' and Patients' Perspective in Tabriz Teaching Hospitals, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohajjel-Aghdam, Alireza; Hassankhani, Hadi; Zamanzadeh, Vahid; Khameneh, Saied; Moghaddam, Sara

2013-09-01

Nursing profession requires knowledge of ethics to guide performance. The nature of this profession necessitates ethical care more than routine care. Today, worldwide definition of professional ethic code has been done based on human and ethical issues in the communication between nurse and patient. To improve all dimensions of nursing, we need to respect ethic codes. The aim of this study is to assess knowledge and performance about nursing ethic codes from nurses' and patients' perspective. A descriptive study Conducted upon 345 nurses and 500 inpatients in six teaching hospitals of Tabriz, 2012. To investigate nurses' knowledge and performance, data were collected by using structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive and analytic statistics, independent t-test and ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient, in SPSS13. Most of the nurses were female, married, educated at BS degree and 86.4% of them were aware of Ethic codes also 91.9% of nurses and 41.8% of patients represented nurses respect ethic codes. Nurses' and patients' perspective about ethic codes differed significantly. Significant relationship was found between nurses' knowledge of ethic codes and job satisfaction and complaint of ethical performance. According to the results, consideration to teaching ethic codes in nursing curriculum for student and continuous education for staff is proposed, on the other hand recognizing failures of the health system, optimizing nursing care, attempt to inform patients about Nursing ethic codes, promote patient rights and achieve patient satisfaction can minimize the differences between the two perspectives.

Diabetic Kidney Disease: From Epidemiology to Clinical Perspectives

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Cheol Whee Park

2014-08-01

Full Text Available With worldwide epidemic of diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy which is one of the major causes of microvascular complication has become a serious concern in Korea as well as the rest of the world. In view of its significance, there is an urgent and paramount need for proper managements that could either deter or slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Despite advances in care, ever increasing number of patients suffering from diabetic kidney disease and from end-stage renal disease implies that the current management is not adequate in many aspects. The reasons for these inadequacies compromise lack of early diagnosis, failure to intervene with timely and aggressive manner, and lack of understanding on the kind of interventions required. Another issue equally important for the adequate care of patients with diabetic nephropathy is an understanding of past, present and future epidemiology of diabetic nephropathy which serves, especially in Korea, as a material determining standard diagnosis and treatment and a national health-policy decision.

Epidemiology of worldwide spinal cord injury: a literature review

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Kang Y

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Yi Kang,1,2,* Han Ding,1,2,* Hengxing Zhou,1,2 Zhijian Wei,1,2 Lu Liu,1,2 Dayu Pan,1,2 Shiqing Feng1,2 1Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 2Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neuroinjury Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Study design: A literature review of worldwide epidemiology of spinal cord injury (SCI. Objectives: To review the epidemiological indicators of SCI, such as incidence, prevalence, demographic characteristics, etiology, level and severity of injury, complications and mortality. Setting: The Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, ­Heping District, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China. Methods: We searched articles published in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE and the Web of ­Science between January 1993 and June 2017 using the key words “spinal cord injury”, “­traumatic spinal cord injury”, “non-traumatic spinal cord injury” and “epidemiology”. The incidence, etiology, prevalence, patient demographics, level and severity of injury, complications and mortality were reviewed from the articles. Results: The epidemiology of SCI has changed. Motor vehicle accidents and falls have become the most common reasons of injury gradually. Incidence of SCI varies by regions or countries, and it has gradually increased with the expansion of human activities. The number of male patients were significantly more than female, the average age of patients with SCI had a tendency to increase gradually. The cervical level of spine was the most common part of injury; there were more number of patients with tetraplegia than patients with paraplegia. Electrolyte disturbances, pulmonary infections, urinary tract infections and bedsores were the four most common complications. Conclusion: We must have a greater

Partial Hospitalization Programs: A Current Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitelaw, Carolyn A.; Perez, Edgardo L.

1987-01-01

Reviews the historical background, standards, the issue of day treatment versus day care, functional issues, specialization, efficacy and cost effectiveness, utilization issues, and alternative models of care of partial hospitalization programs in North America. Emphasizes issues of relevance when planning alternative programs to inpatient…

Molecular epidemiology of clinical and carrier strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA in the hospital settings of north India

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Dar Mohammad J

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The study was conducted between 2000 and 2003 on 750 human subjects, yielding 850 strains of staphylococci from clinical specimens (575, nasal cultures of hospitalized patients (100 and eye & nasal sources of hospital workers (50 & 125 respectively in order to determine their epidemiology, acquisition and dissemination of resistance genes. Methods Organisms from clinical samples were isolated, cultured and identified as per the standard routine procedures. Susceptibility was measured by the agar diffusion method, as recommended by the Nat ional Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS. The modified method of Birnboin and Takahashi was used for isolation of plasmids from staphylococci. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE typing of clinical and carrier Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strains isolated during our study was performed as described previously. Results It was shown that 35.1% of Staphylococcus aureus and 22.5% of coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates were resistant to methicillin. Highest percentage of MRSA (35.5% was found in pus specimens (n = 151. The multiple drug resistance of all MRSA (n = 180 and Methicillin resistant Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus (MRCNS (n = 76 isolates was detected. In case of both methicillin-resistant as well as methicillin-sensitive Saphylococcal isolates zero resistance was found to vancomycin where as highest resistance was found to penicillin G followed by ampicillin. It was shown that the major reservoir of methicillin resistant staphylococci in hospitals are colonized/infected inpatients and colonized hospital workers, with carriers at risk for developing endogenous infection or transmitting infection to health care workers and patients. The results were confirmed by molecular typing using PFGE by SmaI-digestion. It was shown that the resistant markers G and T got transferred from clinical S. aureus (JS-105 to carrier S. aureus (JN-49

Epidemiological and radiological profile of patients with gastric cancer studied by gastroduodenal series in the Servicio de Radiologia of the Hospital San Juan de Dios during the period January 2009 to December 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loria Mendez, Mildred

2011-01-01

The epidemiological and radiological characteristics are described in patients with gastric cancer studied by gastroduodenal series in the Servicio de Radiologia of the Hospital San Juan de Dios, during the period January to December 2009. The cumulative incidence is estimated in patients with gastric cancer. The study population is identified according to sex, age and provenance. Radiographic findings and stage of the gastric cancer patients are described [es

Epidemiology of Injuries in Belgium: Contribution of Hospital Data for Surveillance

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Christelle Senterre

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Investigating injuries in terms of occurrences and patient and hospital stay characteristics. Methods. 17370 stays, with at least one E code, were investigated based on data from 13 Belgian hospitals. Pearson’s chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess the variations between distributions of the investigated factors according to the injury’s types. Results. Major injuries were accidental falls, transport injuries, and self-inflicted injuries. There were more men in the transport injuries group and the accidental falls group was older. For the transport injuries, there were more arrivals with the support of a mobile intensive care unit and/or a paramedic intervention team and a general practitioner was more implicated for the accidental falls. In three-quarters of cases, it was a primary diagnostic related to injury and poisoning which was made. The median length of stay was nearly equal to one week and for accidental falls, this value is three times higher. The median cost, from the social security point of view, for all injuries was equal to €1377 and there was a higher median cost within the falls group. Conclusion. This study based on hospitals data provides important information both on factors associated with and on hospital costs generated by injuries.

Patient safety trilogy: perspectives from clinical engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Gieras, Izabella; Sherman, Paul; Minsent, Dennis

2013-01-01

This article examines the role a clinical engineering or healthcare technology management (HTM) department can play in promoting patient safety from three different perspectives: a community hospital, a national government health system, and an academic medical center. After a general overview, Izabella Gieras from Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, CA, leads off by examining the growing role of human factors in healthcare technology, and describing how her facility uses clinical simulations in medical equipment evaluations. A section by Paul Sherman follows, examining patient safety initiatives from the perspective of the Veterans Health Administration with a focus on hazard alerts and recalls. Dennis Minsent from Oregon Health & Science University writes about patient safety from an academic healthcare perspective, and details how clinical engineers can engage in multidisciplinary safety opportunities.

Epidemiology of burns undergoing hospitalization to the National Burns Unit in the Sultanate of Oman: a 25-year review.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Bulushi, Taimoor

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of burns admitted to the National Burns Unit (NBU) in the Sultanate of Oman between 1987 and 2011. This is a retrospective review of burn patients admitted to Oman's National Burns Unit (NBU) between 1987 and 2011. The data extracted from the national burn registry. The study describes the admission rate by gender and age groups, occupation, causes of burns, time-to-admission, length of stay and in-hospital mortality of burns between 1987 and 2011. During a 25-year from 1987 to 2011, there were 3531 burn patients admitted to the National Burns Unit in Oman. The average admission rate to NBU is 7.02 per 100,000 persons per year. On average, males were more likely to be admitted to the NBU than females during the study period (P value Oman. Children are disproportionately over-represented in this study. Prevention programmes are urgently needed to address this "silent and costly epidemic." Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Comparing Indications for Cardiovascular Admissions into a Nigerian and an Israeli Hospital

Science.gov (United States)

Ukpabi, Ogba Joseph; Uwanurochi, Kelechukwu

2017-01-01

Background: Changing epidemiologic profile with increase in cardiovascular risk factors is well documented in literature. Our study sought to see how this is reflected in cardiovascular admissions into medical wards of a Nigerian and an Israeli hospital. Objective: To compare the range and pattern of cardiovascular admissions encountered in a Nigerian hospital and an Israel hospital. Methods: This was a retrospective study of admission records of patients admitted into both Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, and Sheba Medical Centre, Israel. Results: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) was the most prevalent among the Israeli hospital's admissions but ranks very low as an indication for admission in Nigeria. The most common causes of admission in Nigeria were hypertension and heart failure (HF). The spectrum of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) was very limited in the Nigerian hospital, indicating disparity in diagnostic capacity. Conclusion: There were more patients with CVD as a cause of medical admission in the Israel hospital as compared to the Nigerian hospital. Hypertension and HF were prevalent indications for CVD in FMC, Umuahia, Nigeria, while hypertension and IHD were the prevalent indications for admission in Sheba Medical Centre, Israel. Future studies are needed to monitor spectrum and frequency of cardiovascular admissions in view of evolving epidemiological transition in developing countries. PMID:28469120

Epidemiology of open tibial fractures in a teaching hospital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: This is a prospective observational study of all open tibial fractures seen at the Accident and Emergency department of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) over a twelve- month period (July 2002- June 2003). Data from a pre-designed proforma for the study was analyzed and descriptive ...

Taste preferences, diet and overweight in European children: An epidemiological perspective

OpenAIRE

Lanfer, Anne

2012-01-01

This thesis investigated taste preferences of children from eight European countries. It is based on data from the epidemiological IDEFICS study. The methodological part of the thesis revealed that the reproducibility of the IDEFICS taste preference and -sensitivity tests was high while the reproducibility of the IDEFICS food frequency questionnaire (CEHQ-FFQ) was comparable to that of previous FFQs. Etiological analyses showed that country affiliation was the strongest predictor of taste pre...

[Career perspectives of hospital health workers after maternity and paternity leave: survey and observational study in Germany].

Science.gov (United States)

Engelmann, C; Grote, G; Miemietz, B; Vaske, B; Geyer, S

2015-02-01

A term of maternity and paternity (parental) leave becomes frequent on the career paths of medical personnel. Hospitals are highly competitive environments. The question employees universally face is how such a leave will alter their personal work situation and prospects upon return. We questioned 709 leave-takers and 88 department heads of a German university hospital (2009-12; full data sets: n = 406 and n = 63) about their experiences. This data was validated by epidemiology data extraction and expert interviews, also in a Swiss and in a Norwegian institution. Parental leave elicited high emotionality (score: 4.0 +/- 2 out of 5). Superiors' appraisal of employees' parental leave was more positive than negative (p leave takers doubled to 39 %; 51 % of leave-takers experienced significant task profile changes. 58 % of doctors thought about changing their employer and 17 % of leave-taking executives lost status after return. Employees' "power" and "influence" dropped significantly (p leave. The Swiss and Norwegian comparators appeared to have more liberal substitution and part-time schemes than the German institution. A competitive hospital environment can effectively demote leave-taking medical employees in their jobs. Despite sufficient financial arrangements high-commitment staff will only take parental leave of adequate length when an institutional framework protects their status. Data support four requirements: 1. Formal recognition of the leave taker's status pre-leave. 2. Establishment of a written ("claimable") return policy. 3. Substitution scheme for each individual, preferably by a locum. 4. Redirection of funds to facilitate part-time work schemes temporarily after return. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Strategic management of hospitals in France: balance and perspectives].

Science.gov (United States)

Crémadez, Michel

2010-08-01

The strategic management was introduced in French hospitals in the late 80s, in a context of inefficiency and the need to control healthcare expenditure. This concept has inspired a series of government reforms, the organization and dynamics of hospitals and the mode of regulating the French health system, assuming a real change of professional culture. The changes in the economic context and in the finance of hospitals, the behavior of users, the population aging, the development of chronic diseases and increased competition, are the new challenges to be faced. The involvement of stakeholders is crucial and the strategic management, based on mobilizing these actors, is today, a method of administration particularly well adapted to the health area. This article aims to present the impact of the concept of strategic management in the evolution of French hospitals and the consequences of these developments on the outlook for the dissemination of strategic management in the health sector. To do so, it is examined the evolution of the French context until 2010, the new challenges that French hospitals must face and, finally, the consequences of these challenges on how to design services, manage the relationships between the actors of the health system and organize the operational functioning of hospitals.

Presence, distribution, and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a small animal teaching hospital: a year-long active surveillance targeting dogs and their environment.

Science.gov (United States)

van Balen, Joany; Kelley, Christina; Nava-Hoet, Rocio C; Bateman, Shane; Hillier, Andrew; Dyce, Jonathan; Wittum, Thomas E; Hoet, Armando E

2013-05-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is known to be present in small animal veterinary clinical environments. However, a better understanding of the ecology and dynamics of MRSA in these environments is necessary for the development of effective infectious disease prevention and control programs. To achieve this goal, a yearlong active MRSA surveillance program was established at The Ohio State University (OSU) Veterinary Medical Center to describe the spatial and molecular epidemiology of this bacterium in the small animal hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing, and dendrogram analysis were used to characterize and analyze the 81 environmental and 37 canine-origin MRSA isolates obtained during monthly sampling events. Overall, 13.5% of surfaces were contaminated with MRSA at 1 or more sampling times throughout the year. The majority of the environmental and canine isolates were SCCmec type II (93.8% and 86.5%, respectively) and USA100 (90.1% and 86.5%, respectively). By PFGE analysis, these isolates were found to be closely related, which reflects a low diversity of MRSA strains circulating in the hospital. For 5 consecutive months, 1 unique pulsotype was the most prevalent across the medical services and was recovered from a variety of surfaces and hospital locations. Carts/gurneys, doors, and examination tables/floors were the most frequently contaminated surfaces. Some surfaces maintained the same pulsotypes for 3 consecutive months. Molecular analysis found that incoming MRSA-positive dogs were capable of introducing a new pulsotype into the hospital environment during the surveillance period. Our results suggest that once a MRSA strain is introduced into the hospital environment, it can be maintained and spread for extended periods of time. These findings can aid in the development of biosecurity and biocontainment protocols aimed at

Emergency response in a global health crisis: epidemiology, ethics, and Ebola application.

Science.gov (United States)

Salerno, Jennifer; Hlaing, WayWay M; Weiser, Thomas; Striley, Catherine; Schwartz, Lisa; Angulo, Frederick J; Neslund, Verla S

2016-04-01

The link between ethics and epidemiology can go unnoticed in contemporary gatherings of professional epidemiologists or trainees at conferences and workshops, as well as in teaching. Our goal is to provide readers with information about the activities of the College and to provide a broad perspective on a recent major issue in epidemiology. The Ethics Committee of the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) presented a plenary session at the 2015 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA, on the complexities of ethics and epidemiology in the context of the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease outbreak and response in West Africa. This article presents a summary and further discussion of that plenary session. Three main topic areas were presented: clinical trials and ethics in public health emergencies, public health practice, and collaborative work. A number of key ethical concepts were highlighted and discussed in relation to Ebola and the ACE Ethics Guidelines. The Ebola virus disease outbreak is an example of a public health humanitarian crisis from which we hope to better understand the role of professional epidemiologists in public health practice and research and recognize ethical challenges epidemiologists faced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmaceutical care in Kuwait: hospital pharmacists' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Katoue, Maram G; Awad, Abdelmoneim I; Schwinghammer, Terry L; Kombian, Samuel B

2014-12-01

Pharmaceutical care practice has been championed as the primary mission of the pharmacy profession, but its implementation has been suboptimal in many developing countries including Kuwait. Pharmacists must have sufficient knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes to practise pharmaceutical care, and barriers in the pharmacy practice model must be overcome before pharmaceutical care can be broadly implemented in a given healthcare system. To investigate hospital pharmacists' attitudes towards pharmaceutical care, perceptions of their preparedness to provide pharmaceutical care, and the barriers to its implementation in Kuwait. Six general hospitals, eight specialized hospitals and seven specialized health centers in Kuwait. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was distributed to all pharmacists working in the governmental hospitals in Kuwait (385 pharmacists). Data were collected via a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including percentages, medians and means Likert scale rating (standard deviations) were calculated and compared using statistical package for social sciences, version 20. Statistical significance was accepted at a p value of Kuwait. Completed surveys were received from 250 (64.9%) of the 385 pharmacists. Pharmacists expressed overall positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care. They felt well prepared to implement the various aspects of pharmaceutical care, with the least preparedness in the administrative/management aspects. Pharmacists with more practice experience expressed significantly more positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care (p = 0.001) and they felt better prepared to provide pharmaceutical care competencies (p Kuwait advocate implementation of pharmaceutical care while also appreciating the organizational, technical and professional barriers to its widespread adoption. Collaborative efforts between health authorities and educational institutions, and the integration of innovative approaches in

Epidemiology and Drug Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains isolated from Patients admitted to Zabol hospitals: Short Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Forough Heydari

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most important causative agents of nosocomial infections that threatens many lives .. Regarding the innate and adaptive ability of the bacteria species to become resistant to many antimicrobial agents, recognition of different antibiotic resistance patterns is extremely significant in assessing the validity of the monitoring programs. Also, the pattern of genetic isolates is essential in the management of infections caused by these bacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine genetic diversity and patterns of antimicrobial resistance of P. aeruginosa isolates using RAPD-PCR. Materials and Methods: The present study aimed at assessing the genetic diversity and antibiotic resistant pattern of P. aeruginosa isolates in the educational Zabol hospitals. Thus, antibiotic susceptibility of 100 isolates was determined applying Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Results: RAPD-PCR data revealed  a high level of polymorphism among the isolates of P. aeruginosa in Sistan. But, no association was observed between antibiotic susceptibility and genetic diversity pattern. Conclusion: In the present study, we RAPD-PCR technique was found to be a useful means for the investigation of the genetic variation and epidemiological study among P. aeruginosa isolates collected from Sistan region.

Epidemiology in Latin America and the Caribbean: current situation and challenges.

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Barreto, Sandhi M; Miranda, Jaime J; Figueroa, J Peter; Schmidt, Maria Inês; Munoz, Sergio; Kuri-Morales, P Pablo; Silva, Jarbas B

2012-04-01

This article analyses the epidemiological research developments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It integrates the series commissioned by the International Epidemiological Association to all WHO Regions to identify global opportunities to promote the development of epidemiology. Health situations of the regions were analysed based on published data on selected mortality, morbidity and risk factors. Epidemiological publication output by country was estimated by Medline bibliometrics. Internet and literature searches and data provided by key informants were used to describe perspectives on epidemiological training, research and funding. Despite important advances in recent decades, LAC remains the world's most unequal region. In 2010, 10% of the LAC's people still lived in conditions of multidimensional poverty, with huge variation among countries. The region has experienced fast and complex epidemiological changes in past decades, combining increasing rates of non-communicable diseases and injuries, and keeping uncontrolled many existing endemic and emerging diseases. Overall, epidemiological publications per year increased from 160 articles between 1961 and 1970 to 2492 between 2001 and 2010. The increase in papers per million inhabitants in the past three decades varied from 57% in Panama to 1339% in Paraguay. Universities are the main epidemiological training providers. There are at least 34 universities and other institutions in the region that offer postgraduate programmes at the master's and doctoral levels in epidemiology or public health. Most LAC countries rely largely on external funding and donors to initiate and sustain long-term research efforts. Despite the limited resources, the critical mass of LAC researchers has produced significant scientific contributions. FUTURE NEEDS: The health research panorama of the region shows enormous regional discrepancies, but great prospects. Improving research and human resources capacity in the region will

Epidemiology of Postherpetic Neuralgia in Korea

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Hong, Myong-Joo; Kim, Yeon-Dong; Cheong, Yong-Kwan; Park, Seon-Jeong; Choi, Seung-Won; Hong, Hyon-Joo

2016-01-01

Abstract Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a disease entity defined as persistent pain after the acute pain of herpes zoster gradually resolves. It is associated with impaired daily activities, resulting in reduced quality of life. General epidemiological data on PHN is necessary for the effective management. However, data on the epidemiology of PHN in Korea is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological features of PHN in the general population. We used population-based medical data for 51,448,491 subscribers to the Health Insurance Service in the year of 2013 to analyze of PHN epidemiology in Korea, such as the incidence, regional distribution, seasonal variation, and healthcare resource utilization. Total number of patients and medical cost on PHN were analyzed from 2009 to 2013. Findings indicate that the incidence of PHN in Korea was 2.5 per 1000 person-years, which was strongly correlated with age and sex. There were no differences in seasonal variation or regional distribution. The medical cost increased steadily over the study period. When admitted to general hospitals, patients with PHN were mainly managed in the dermatology and anesthesiology departments. The incidence and prevalence rates of PHN in Koreans appear to be considerably higher compared to those in western populations, while the sex and age predisposition was similar. Considering that the pain associated with PHN can have a marked impact on a patient's quality of life resulting in a medicosocial economic burden, anesthesiology physicians have an important role in primary care in Korea. Future research on the cost-effectiveness of the management of PHN is needed. PMID:27057902

Direct progeny detection techniques and random epidemiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayya, Y.S.; Mishra, Rosaline; Sapra, B.K.

2015-01-01

of Kerala have focused essentially on gamma radiations, the DTPS/DRPS measurements have shown that the decay product concentrations in these areas are similar to those in normal areas. Hence epidemiology of radon need not restrict to HBRAs but can encompass various other regions with significantly higher progeny concentrations. This presentation reviews these aspects and attempts to provide a perspective for future studies that may be undertaken in the Indian context. (author)

Molecular epidemiology and spatiotemporal analysis of hospital-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii infection in a tertiary care hospital in southern Thailand.

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Chusri, S; Chongsuvivatwong, V; Rivera, J I; Silpapojakul, K; Singkhamanan, K; McNeil, E; Doi, Y

2017-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is a major hospital-acquired pathogen in Thailand that has a negative effect on patient survival. The nature of its transmission is poorly understood. To investigate the genotypic and spatiotemporal pattern of A. baumannii infection at a hospital in Thailand. The medical records of patients infected with A. baumannii at an 800-bed tertiary care hospital in southern Thailand between January 2010 and December 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. A. baumannii was identified at the genomospecies level. Carbapenemase genes were identified among carbapenem-resistant isolates associated with A. baumannii infection. A spatiotemporal analysis was performed by admission ward, time of infection and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) groups of A. baumannii. Nine PFGE groups were identified among the 197 A. baumannii infections. All A. baumannii isolates were assigned to International Clonal Lineage II. bla OXA-23 was the most prevalent carbapenemase gene. Outbreaks were observed mainly in respiratory and intensive care units. The association between PFGE group and hospital unit was significant. Spatiotemporal analysis identified 20 clusters of single PFGE group infections. Approximately half of the clusters involved multiple hospital units simultaneously. A. baumannii transmitted both within and between hospital wards. Better understanding and control of the transmission of A. baumannii are needed. Copyright © 2016 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of Dengue Disease in Malaysia (2000–2012): A Systematic Literature Review

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Mohd-Zaki, Abdul Hamid; Brett, Jeremy; Ismail, Ellyana; L'Azou, Maïna

2014-01-01

A literature survey and analysis was conducted to describe the epidemiology of dengue disease in Malaysia between 2000 and 2012. Published literature was searched for epidemiological studies of dengue disease, using specific search strategies for each electronic database; 237 relevant data sources were identified, 28 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The epidemiology of dengue disease in Malaysia was characterized by a non-linear increase in the number of reported cases from 7,103 in 2000 to 46,171 in 2010, and a shift in the age range predominance from children toward adults. The overall increase in dengue disease was accompanied by a rise in the number, but not the proportion, of severe cases. The dominant circulating dengue virus serotypes changed continually over the decade and differed between states. Several gaps in epidemiological knowledge were identified; in particular, studies of regional differences, age-stratified seroprevalence, and hospital admissions. Protocol registration PROSPERO #CRD42012002293 PMID:25375211

Validity of dementia diagnoses in the danish hospital registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Phung, T.K.T.; Andersen, B.B.; Phung, T.K.T.

2007-01-01

.24-0.48). Conclusion: The validity of dementia syndrome in the Danish hospital registers was high and allows for epidemiological studies about dementia. Alzheimer's disease, although underregistered, also had a good validity once the diagnosis was registered. In general, other ICD-10 dementia subtypes in the registers......Background:The validity of dementia diagnoses in the Danish nationwide hospital registers was evaluated to determine the value of these registers in epidemiological research about dementia. Methods: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from 4,682 patients registered for the first time...... with a dementia diagnosis in the last 6 months of 2003. The patients' medical journals were reviewed to evaluate if they fulfilled ICD-10 and/or DSM-IV criteria for dementia and specific dementia subtypes. The patients who were still alive in 2006 were invited to an interview. Results: One hundred and ninety...

Role of data warehousing in healthcare epidemiology.

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Wyllie, D; Davies, J

2015-04-01

Electronic storage of healthcare data, including individual-level risk factors for both infectious and other diseases, is increasing. These data can be integrated at hospital, regional and national levels. Data sources that contain risk factor and outcome information for a wide range of conditions offer the potential for efficient epidemiological analysis of multiple diseases. Opportunities may also arise for monitoring healthcare processes. Integrating diverse data sources presents epidemiological, practical, and ethical challenges. For example, diagnostic criteria, outcome definitions, and ascertainment methods may differ across the data sources. Data volumes may be very large, requiring sophisticated computing technology. Given the large populations involved, perhaps the most challenging aspect is how informed consent can be obtained for the development of integrated databases, particularly when it is not easy to demonstrate their potential. In this article, we discuss some of the ups and downs of recent projects as well as the potential of data warehousing for antimicrobial resistance monitoring. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Knowledge and Performance about Nursing Ethic Codes from Nurses' and Patients' Perspective in Tabriz Teaching Hospitals, Iran

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Sara Moghaddam

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nursing profession requires knowledge of ethics to guide performance. The nature of this profession necessitates ethical care more than routine care. Today, worldwide definition of professional ethic code has been done based on human and ethical issues in the communication between nurse and patient. To improve all dimensions of nursing, we need to respect ethic codes. The aim of this study is to assess knowledge and performance about nursing ethic codes from nurses' and patients' perspective.Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study Conducted upon 345 nurses and 500 inpatients in six teaching hospitals of Tabriz, 2012. To investigate nurses' knowledge and performance, data were collected by using structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive and analytic statistics, independent t-test and ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient, in SPSS13.Results: Most of the nurses were female, married, educated at BS degree and 86.4% of them were aware of Ethic codes also 91.9% of nurses and 41.8% of patients represented nurses respect ethic codes. Nurses' and patients' perspective about ethic codes differed significantly. Significant relationship was found between nurses' knowledge of ethic codes and job satisfaction and complaint of ethical performance. Conclusion: According to the results, consideration to teaching ethic codes in nursing curriculum for student and continuous education for staff is proposed, on the other hand recognizing failures of the health system, optimizing nursing care, attempt to inform patients about Nursing ethic codes, promote patient rights and achieve patient satisfaction can minimize the differences between the two perspectives.

AKI in Children Hospitalized with Nephrotic Syndrome.

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Rheault, Michelle N; Zhang, Lei; Selewski, David T; Kallash, Mahmoud; Tran, Cheryl L; Seamon, Meredith; Katsoufis, Chryso; Ashoor, Isa; Hernandez, Joel; Supe-Markovina, Katarina; D'Alessandri-Silva, Cynthia; DeJesus-Gonzalez, Nilka; Vasylyeva, Tetyana L; Formeck, Cassandra; Woll, Christopher; Gbadegesin, Rasheed; Geier, Pavel; Devarajan, Prasad; Carpenter, Shannon L; Kerlin, Bryce A; Smoyer, William E

2015-12-07

Children with nephrotic syndrome can develop life-threatening complications, including infection and thrombosis. While AKI is associated with adverse outcomes in hospitalized children, little is known about the epidemiology of AKI in children with nephrotic syndrome. The main objectives of this study were to determine the incidence, epidemiology, and hospital outcomes associated with AKI in a modern cohort of children hospitalized with nephrotic syndrome. Records of children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to 17 pediatric nephrology centers across North America from 2010 to 2012 were reviewed. AKI was classified using the pediatric RIFLE definition. AKI occurred in 58.6% of 336 children and 50.9% of 615 hospitalizations (27.3% in stage R, 17.2% in stage I, and 6.3% in stage F). After adjustment for race, sex, age at admission, and clinical diagnosis, infection (odds ratio, 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 3.65; P=0.001), nephrotoxic medication exposure (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.64; P=0.002), days of nephrotoxic medication exposure (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.15; Pchildren with nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotoxic medication exposure was common in this population, and each additional nephrotoxic medication received during a hospitalization was associated with 38% higher risk of AKI. AKI was associated with longer hospital stay after adjustment for race, sex, age at admission, clinical diagnosis, and infection (difference, 0.45 [log]days; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.53 [log]days; Pchildren hospitalized with nephrotic syndrome and should be deemed the third major complication of nephrotic syndrome in children in addition to infection and venous thromboembolism. Risk factors for AKI include steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, infection, and nephrotoxic medication exposure. Children with AKI have longer hospital lengths of stay and increased need for intensive care unit admission. Copyright © 2015 by the

Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Diabetic Foot Infections in a Large Academic Hospital: Implications for Antimicrobial Stewardship.

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Kelly R Reveles

Full Text Available Diabetic foot infections (DFIs are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States. Antimicrobials active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA are recommended in patients with associated risk factors; however, limited data exist to support these recommendations. Due to the changing epidemiology of MRSA, and the consequences of unnecessary antibiotic therapy, guidance regarding the necessity of empirical MRSA coverage in DFIs is needed. We sought to 1 describe the prevalence of MRSA DFIs at our institution and compare to the proportion of patients who receive MRSA antibiotic coverage and 2 identify risk factors for MRSA DFI.This was a retrospective cohort study of all adult, culture-positive DFI patients managed at University Hospital, San Antonio, TX between January 1, 2010 and September 1, 2014. Patient eligibility included a principal ICD-9-CM discharge diagnosis code for foot infection and a secondary diagnosis of diabetes. The primary outcome was MRSA identified in the wound culture. Independent variables assessed included patient demographics, comorbidities, prior hospitalization, DFI therapies, prior antibiotics, prior MRSA infection, and laboratory values. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for MRSA DFI.Overall, 318 patients met inclusion criteria. Patients were predominantly Hispanic (79% and male (69%. Common comorbidities included hypertension (76%, dyslipidemia (52%, and obesity (49%. S. aureus was present in 46% of culture-positive DFIs (MRSA, 15%. A total of 273 patients (86% received MRSA antibiotic coverage, resulting in 71% unnecessary use. Male gender (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.37-7.99 and bone involvement (OR 1.93, 1.00-3.78 were found to be independent risk factors for MRSA DFI.Although MRSA was the causative pathogen in a small number of DFI, antibiotic coverage targeted against MRSA was unnecessarily high.

Occupational pesticide exposure among Kenyan agricultural workers : an epidemiological and public health perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ohayo - Mitoko, G.J.A.

1997-01-01

This study was part of the Kenyan component of a multi-centre epidemiologic survey, the East African Pesticides Project. The general objective was to assess the health hazards posed by pesticide handling, storage and use in agricultural estates and small farms in selected rural

What happens in hospitals does not stay in hospitals: antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital wastewater systems.

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Hocquet, D; Muller, A; Bertrand, X

2016-08-01

Hospitals are hotspots for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) and play a major role in both their emergence and spread. Large numbers of these ARB will be ejected from hospitals via wastewater systems. In this review, we present quantitative and qualitative data of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in hospital wastewaters compared to community wastewaters. We also discuss the fate of these ARB in wastewater treatment plants and in the downstream environment. Published studies have shown that hospital effluents contain ARB, the burden of these bacteria being dependent on their local prevalence. The large amounts of antimicrobials rejected in wastewater exert a continuous selective pressure. Only a few countries recommend the primary treatment of hospital effluents before their discharge into the main wastewater flow for treatment in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Despite the lack of conclusive data, some studies suggest that treatment could favour the ARB, notably ESBL-producing E. coli. Moreover, treatment plants are described as hotspots for the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacterial species. Consequently, large amounts of ARB are released in the environment, but it is unclear whether this release contributes to the global epidemiology of these pathogens. It is reasonable, nevertheless, to postulate that it plays a role in the worldwide progression of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial resistance should now be seen as an 'environmental pollutant', and new wastewater treatment processes must be assessed for their capability in eliminating ARB, especially from hospital effluents. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

HOSPITAL IMAGE AS A MODERATING VARIABLE ON THE EFFECT OF HOSPITAL SERVICE QUALITY ON THE CUSTOMER PERCEIVED VALUE, CUSTOMER TRUST AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN HOSPITAL SERVICES

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Indrianawati Usman

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This is an explanatory research, analyzing the hospital image as a moderating variable on the effect of hospital service quality on customer perceived value and trust. Research was conducted at several hospitals in Surabaya Indonesia, especially to outpatients. Data was collected by survey to the outpatients of the hospitals. The purpose of this research was empirically examining the effects of hospital service quality on customer perceived value and customer trust, examine effects of customer perceived value and customer trust on customer loyalty. Moreover This research also examined the variable of hospital image as a moderating variable in the effects of hospital service quality on customer perceived value and customer trust. The result of this research gave a perspective to hospital management about the importance of building patient trust, since trust is very important, even more important than satisfaction level. Further studies with more emphasis on identifying the factors building patient trust to the hospital in order to raise customer loyalty should be conducted.

Evaluating Midwives Communication Skills from the Perspective of Parturient Women Attending to Hospitals for Delivery

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Maryam Sadat Katebi

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background & aim: Communication is a fundamental human need. Medical students and healthcare professionals must be attuned to the needs of patients using effective communication skills. With regards to medical training, currently the focus is on theoretical matters and communication skills are taken for granted. This problem has caused miscommunication with patients referred to teaching hospitals. We conducted this study to assess communication skills of midwives from the perspective of parturient women. Methods: In this descriptive study, we evaluated 50 midwives working in maternity wards of Ghaem, Imam Reza, Omolbanin, and Hasheminejad hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. Three parturient women were selected per one midwife in a maternity ward. The parturient women participating in this study were in labor, delivery, admission or postpartum stages and completed the Interpersonal Communication Skills inventory by interview. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson product-moment correlation were performed, using SPSS 16. Results: The mean scores of communication behaviors of midwives with parturient in delivery, admission, and postpartum stages were 92.61±10.81, 93.31±10.59, and 94.19±8.26, respectively. Between the previous delivery of parturient, with communication behavior of midwives in the stage of admiss­ion or post-partum (P=0.015 and satisfaction of pregnancy with communication behavior of midwife in labor stage (P

An Investigation of Perspectives of Respite Admission Among People Living With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and the Hospitals That Support Them.

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Nakai, Michiko; Narita, Yugo; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2017-07-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive disease with rapid degeneration. Respite care is an essential service for improving the well-being of both patients with this disease and their family caregivers, but accessibility of respite services is limited. This study investigates perspectives on respite admission among people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the hospitals supporting them. We conducted semistructured interviews among 3 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 12 family members, exploring demographic information and their awareness and experience of respite admission. We also interviewed 16 representatives from hospitals about awareness of and preparation for respite admission for patients with this disease, the role of regional networks for intractable diseases, and knowledge about communication support schemes. We found significant differences in the revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale between patients who had and had not received respite admission. Qualitative analysis of the data indicated that respite admission was a contributory factor in continuing and stabilizing home care. Limited provision of social services and hospital care quality were barriers to respite admission. Respite admission was essential to continued home care for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Severe-stage patients were eligible for respite admission. Its accessibility, however, was limited, especially for patients living in rural areas. Supporting hospitals had limited capacity to respond to patients' needs. Individualized care and communication were internal barriers to respite admission.

Epidemiological and economic burden of Clostridium difficile in the United States: estimates from a modeling approach.

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Desai, Kamal; Gupta, Swati B; Dubberke, Erik R; Prabhu, Vimalanand S; Browne, Chantelle; Mast, T Christopher

2016-06-18

Despite a large increase in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) severity, morbidity and mortality in the US since the early 2000s, CDI burden estimates have had limited generalizability and comparability due to widely varying clinical settings, populations, or study designs. A decision-analytic model incorporating key input parameters important in CDI epidemiology was developed to estimate the annual number of initial and recurrent CDI cases, attributable and all-cause deaths, economic burden in the general population, and specific number of high-risk patients in different healthcare settings and the community in the US. Economic burden was calculated adopting a societal perspective using a bottom-up approach that identified healthcare resources consumed in the management of CDI. Annually, a total of 606,058 (439,237 initial and 166,821 recurrent) episodes of CDI were predicted in 2014: 34.3 % arose from community exposure. Over 44,500 CDI-attributable deaths in 2014 were estimated to occur. High-risk susceptible individuals representing 5 % of the total hospital population accounted for 23 % of hospitalized CDI patients. The economic cost of CDI was $5.4 billion ($4.7 billion (86.7 %) in healthcare settings; $725 million (13.3 %) in the community), mostly due to hospitalization. A modeling framework provides more comprehensive and detailed national-level estimates of CDI cases, recurrences, deaths and cost in different patient groups than currently available from separate individual studies. As new treatments for CDI are developed, this model can provide reliable estimates to better focus healthcare resources to those specific age-groups, risk-groups, and care settings in the US where they are most needed. (Trial Identifier ClinicaTrials.gov: NCT01241552).

Bureaucracy, institutional theory and institutionaucracy: applications to the hospital industry.

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Bolon, D S

1998-01-01

The health care industry is experiencing rapid change and uncertainty. Hospitals, in particular, are redesigning structures and processes in order to maximize efficiencies and remain economically viable. This article uses two organizational theory perspectives (bureaucracy and institutional theory) to examine many of the trends and transitions which are occurring throughout the hospital industry. It suggests that many of the key tenets of bureaucracy (rationality, efficiency, productivity, control, etc.) have been incorporated into the institutional environment as normative expectations. This synthesis or blending of these two perspectives is labeled institutionaucracy, implying that, as productivity and efficiency considerations become institutionalized, hospitals conforming to such operational standards will gain legitimacy and additional resources from their environment.

HHARP: The Historical Hospital Admission Records Project – a review

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Cara Hirst

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Hospital records have frequently been used in epidemiological research (Kilgore et al. 2017; Rushton 2016, and in some cases palaeopathological research. However, the availability of data is problematic, with written records requiring considerable time to interpret, digitise and analyse. In 2001, the Historical Hospital Records Project (HHARP began digitising over 140,000 hospital admission records from four hospitals in London and Glasgow, providing researchers with an online data base of hospital records (Figure 1. I review the data available in the HHARP database, as well as make a preliminary analysis of the hospital records from London and Glasgow between c.1852-1921 which illustrates the value of the HHARP database in understanding disease and medical care during this period.

Prevalence of supporting limb laminitis in a UK equine practice and referral hospital setting between 2005 and 2013: implications for future epidemiological studies.

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Wylie, C E; Newton, J R; Bathe, A P; Payne, R J

2015-01-17

The electronic patient records of all equine patients of Rossdales Equine Practice between January 1, 2005 and November 1, 2013 were reviewed to determine the number of cases of supporting limb laminitis (SLL) in a large equine practice and referral hospital setting in the UK and to discuss the implications for future epidemiological studies. The clinical notes were searched electronically for a combination of 'laminitis AND (contralateral OR supporting OR overload OR weight bearing)'. The prevalence of SLL within each identified denominator population and the corresponding 95% CI were calculated. SLL developed in nine horses, one donkey and one pony. Thoroughbreds were the most commonly affected breed (72.7 per cent, CI 46.4 to 99.1 per cent), aged 2-14 years (median six years), and only mares (n=9) and stallions (n=2) were represented. SLL was not restricted to horses that were non-weightbearing lame, it developed within 4-100 days after injury (median 14.5 days) and occurred most commonly in a forelimb (54.6 per cent, CI 25.1 to 84.0 per cent). During the same time frame, a total of 65,327 horses were registered with Rossdales Equine Practice, resulting in an overall practice prevalence of SLL of 0.02 per cent (CI 0.01 to 0.03 per cent). Future epidemiological studies to investigate risk factors for SLL prevention will, therefore, be a logistical challenge. British Veterinary Association.

[Trends in hospital care].

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Vecina Neto, Gonzalo; Malik, Ana Maria

2007-01-01

This paper analyses trends in the delivery of hospital services in Brazil, considering the setting, the current situation and its challenges, examining what still remains to be done. The variables studied for the analysis of the setting are: demography, epidemiological profile, human resources, technology, medicalization, costs, review of the role of the citizen, legislation, equity, hospital-centricity and regionalization, care fractioning and bed availability. The Brazilian setting was studied through the supplementary healthcare model, financing and the healthcare area production chain. The observations of the current situation present external evaluation models, outsourcing, public-private relationships, de-hospitalization and financing. The analysis of the challenges examines the need for long range planning, the quest for new legal models for the 'business', the use of information and information systems, cost controls and the need for enhanced efficiency and compliance with legal directives, guaranteed universal access to full healthcare facilities, the inclusion of primary prevention in healthcare procedures, integrating the public and private sectors and engaging physicians in solving problems.

Epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis at a reference service in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, from January 2000 to September 2008.

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Nunes, Willian da Silva; Araújo, Sócrates Rios; Calheiros, Cláudia Maria Lins

2010-01-01

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease found in the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. In Brazil, the disease is an important public health problem, occurring in most states, but mainly in the Northeast region of the country, with the state of Alagoas having a significant number of confirmed cases. The present study establishes and discusses the epidemiological profile of cases of leishmaniases treated at the Reference Center of Alagoas, Hospital Escola Hélvio de Farias Auto, between January 2000 and October 2008. During this period, records of 2,104 patients notified to the hospital Epidemiological Surveillance Center were reviewed. The epidemiology of leishmaniasis, both visceral and tegumentary, has shown a profile that has changed over throughout the years, with a decrease in the number of notified cases. Disease occurrence was associated with lower social economic classes, and affected mainly rural workers in general, housewives and students.

Falls from heights: epidemiology and pattern of injury at the accident and emergency centre of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

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Osifo, Osarumwense David; Iribhogbe, Pius; Idiodi-Thomas, Hestia

2010-05-01

Knowledge of the epidemiology and the pattern of injury sustained following falls from heights may be crucial in formulating policy aimed at prevention and improved outcome of victims. This study aims to determine the epidemiology and the spectrum of injury sustained following falls from heights at a referral trauma centre in a developing country. This study is a retrospective analysis of cases of falls from heights between June 2007 and May 2008 at the Accident and Emergency Center of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Eighty-four patients aged between 1 and 60 years (median: 24 years) comprising 54 males and 30 females with a male/female ratio of 1.8:1 were managed. All the falls were accidental and occurred mainly among males aged between 18 and 30 years, with a peak incidence between March and May, which coincided with rainy and harvest seasons (Pconstruction sites, eight (9.5%), staircase, six (7.1%); and treetops, six (7.1%) were common. Children fell mainly indoors from relatively lower heights. Eighty (95.2%) patients sustained injury that ranged from minor abrasions (12; 14.3%) to severe life-threatening head injury (15; 17.9%), which resulted in one (1.2%) death. Sympathisers and passersby were rescuers who gave first aid and brought the patients to the centre using hazardous public transport with a mean time lag of 12h (range: 2-48 h) between the falls and presentation. Falls from heights were common in Benin. Health awareness programmes and a proper government policy will reduce incidences and improve outcome. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Participatory epidemiology: the contribution of participatory research to epidemiology

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Mario Bach

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Epidemiology has contributed in many ways to identifying various risk factors for disease and to promoting population health. However, there is a continuing debate about the ability of epidemiology not only to describe, but also to provide results which can be better translated into public health practice. It has been proposed that participatory research approaches be applied to epidemiology as a way to bridge this gap between description and action. A systematic account of what constitutes participatory epidemiology practice has, however, been lacking. Methods A scoping review was carried out focused on the question of what constitutes participatory approaches to epidemiology for the purpose of demonstrating their potential for advancing epidemiologic research. Relevant databases were searched, including both the published and non-published (grey literature. The 102 identified sources were analyzed in terms of comparing common epidemiologic approaches to participatory counterparts regarding central aspects of the research process. Exemplary studies applying participatory approaches were examined more closely. Results A highly diverse, interdisciplinary body of literature was synthesized, resulting in a framework comprised of seven aspects of the research process: research goal, research question, population, context, data synthesis, research management, and dissemination of findings. The framework specifies how participatory approaches not only differ from, but also how they can enhance common approaches in epidemiology. Finally, recommendations for the further development of participatory approaches are given. These include: enhancing data collection, data analysis, and data validation; advancing capacity building for research at the local level; and developing data synthesis. Conclusion The proposed framework provides a basis for systematically developing the emergent science of participatory epidemiology.

Clinical and epidemiological predictors of transmission in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS

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Leong Hoe

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Only a minority of probable SARS cases caused transmission. We assess if any epidemiological or clinical factors in SARS index patients were associated with increased probability of transmission. Methods We used epidemiological and clinical data on probable SARS patients admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Using a case-control approach, index patients who had probable SARS who subsequently transmitted the disease to at least one other patient were analysed as "cases" against patients with no transmission as "controls", using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results 98 index patients were available for analysis (22 with transmission, 76 with no transmission. Covariates positively associated with transmission in univariate analysis at p 650 IU/L (OR 6.4, 23.8 and 4.7 respectively. Conclusion Clinical and epidemiological factors can help us to explain why transmission was observed in some instances but not in others.

Diarrheagenic pathogens in adults attending a hospital in Singapore.

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Chau, Man Ling; Hartantyo, Sri Harminda Pahm; Yap, Min; Kang, Joanne Su Lin; Aung, Kyaw Thu; Gutiérrez, Ramona Alikiiteaga; Ng, Lee Ching; Tam, Clarence C; Barkham, Timothy

2016-01-28

gain a more holistic perspective on the epidemiology of AGE in Singapore. A larger study may also offer valuable insights for improving the approach of microbiological surveillance of food, as well as strategizing inspection efforts along the food supply chain by public health authorities.

Epidemiology of MRSA: the North/South study of MRSA in Ireland 1999.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McDonald, P

2003-06-01

The North\\/South Study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Ireland, 1999, includes a joint review of the epidemiology of MRSA across both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. Data were gathered on all MRSA cases identified in laboratories in Northern Ireland (the North) and in the Republic of Ireland (the South) over a two-week period. The prevalence rate per 100000 population was 11.4 in the North and 14.0 in the South, with a marked variation across geographical regions. MRSA cases were located throughout hospitals and the community, were slightly more common in males than females, and occurred in all age groups, especially in the elderly. The majority of cases were inpatients in acute hospitals and were distributed across all types of wards. Most cases were colonized with MRSA but 5% of cases in the North and 10% in the South had invasive infection. Invasive infection was associated with intravascular lines and invasive procedures\\/surgery. Continuous surveillance is recommended to monitor the epidemiology of MRSA and the effectiveness of control measures.

Malnutrition in healthcare institutions: a review of the prevalence of under-nutrition in hospitals and care homes since 1994 in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Sumantra; Laur, Celia; Golubic, Rajna

2014-10-01

One in four hospital patients in the UK are estimated to be affected by 'hospital malnutrition' (under-nutrition). There is a need for robust epidemiological data relating to the frequency, distribution and determinants of this clinical problem of public health importance. This review aims to undertake a narrative synthesis of data on the descriptive epidemiology of under-nutrition, and to address some of the methodological limitations. A methodical review of literature was undertaken, tracking the reported prevalence and incidence of under-nutrition in hospital, in the UK, since 1994. The 16 articles retrieved and reviewed demonstrate that nutrition in hospital is a long standing problem in UK hospitals and care homes. The existing literature is comprised mainly of cross-sectional surveys describing the prevalence of under-nutrition in hospital which ranges from 11 to 45%. There is considerable heterogeneity in the published literature on hospital malnutrition (under-nutrition) and very few studies either measure or have estimated incidence. Under-nutrition in hospital continues to be under-addressed, yet a major public health problem in the UK. Defining the descriptive epidemiology of this problem is one of the first steps towards understanding its aetiology or planning and evaluating appropriate prevention or treatment strategies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

[Hospital fluoroquinolone prescription habits in northern France].

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Levent, T; Cabaret, P

2010-09-01

The aim of the study was to assess the good use organization and fluoroquinolone prescription habits in cases of bone and joint, urinary, pulmonary, and digestive infections. A declarative survey was made (questionnaire for the hospital and for the prescriber). Thirty percent (44/145) of hospitals participated with 274 prescribers. Eighty percent had prescription protocols, 71 % of clinicians had access to epidemiologic data. A percentage of 30.7 (853/2,771) of prescriptions included a fluoroquinolone, 44.5 % (380/853) among these had not been recommended. The excessive prescription reached 24.4 % (116/474) in case of bone and joint infection, 14.6 % (107/731), and 20 % (157/779) in cases of digestive and respiratory infection respectively. Prescriptions for urinary infection were adequate in 47.6 % (375/787) of cases. Inadequate prescriptions were made because of bad knowledge of bacteria resistance epidemiology and pharmacology (insufficient dose, monotherapy at risk of selection), and non-application of good practice recommendations. This study justifies the rationalization of antibiotic prescription. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A Descriptive Analysis of Exercise Tolerance Test at Seremban Hospital : An Audit for the Year 2001

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Abdul Latiff; Nee, Chan Chee; Azzad, Ahmed

2004-01-01

Our purpose is to report on the epidemiological variables and their association with the results of the exercise tolerance test (ETT) in the series of patients referred for standard diagnostic ETT at Seremban Hospital during the year 2001. ETT is widely performed, but, in Malaysia, an analysis of the associations between the epidemiological data and the results of the ETT has not been presented. All patients referred for ETT at Seremban Hospital who underwent exercise treadmill tests for the year 2001 were taken as the study population. Demographic details and patients with established heart disease (i.e. prior coronary bypass surgery, myocardial infarction, or congestive heart failure) were noted. Clinical and ETT variables were collected retrospectively from the hospital records. Testing and data management were performed in a standardized fashion with a computer-assisted protocol. This study showed that there was no significant predictive epidemiological variable on the results of the ETT. However, it was found that there was statistically significant difference between the peak exercise time of males and females undergoing the ETT. PMID:22973128

Epidemiology of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the Avianca plane crash: Avianca Flight 052, January 25, 1990. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barancik, J.I.; Kramer, C.F.; Thode, H.C. Jr.; Kahn, C.J. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Greensher, J.; Schechter, S. [Nassau County Dept. of Health, Mineola, NY (United States)

1992-11-01

On January 25, 1990 Avianca Flight 052 crashed without a conflagration after running out of fuel; 73 persons died, 85 survived. Epidemiological, biostatistical, and related analytical methods were used for the analysis of decedent and survivor injury patterns and for the purpose of examining selected EMS and hospital issues-relative to disaster planning and incident management and response. Medical examiner and hospital records for all decedents and survivors were identified, abstracted, and coded using the International Classification of Diseases with Clinical Modifications, 9th Edition (ICD 9-CM) to determine the nature of injuries and comorbid conditions. Injury severity values were determined using the 1985 Abbreviated Injury Scale with Epidemiologic Modifications (AIS 85-EM).

Epidemiological profile of tuberculosis cases reported among health care workers at the University Hospital in Vitoria, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

do Prado, Thiago Nascimento; Galavote, Heleticia Scabelo; Brioshi, Ana Paula; Lacerda, Thamy; Fregona, Geisa; Detoni, Valdério do Valle; Lima, Rita de Cássia Duarte; Dietze, Reynaldo; Maciel, Ethel Leonor Noia

2008-08-01

To describe the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis cases reported among health care workers in the Tuberculosis Control Program of the Cassiano Antonio of Moraes University Hospital in Vitoria, Brazil. A retrospective descriptive study of secondary data was conducted between 2002 and 2006. Twenty-five cases of health care workers with tuberculosis were reported: 8 in nursing technicians (32%); 4 in doctors (16%); 3 in nurses (12%); 2 in radiology technicians (8%) and 8 in professionals from other categories (32%). Of those 25 health care workers, 14 (56%) were male and 11 (44%) were female. The incidence of the disease was highest among those from 35 to 39 years of age. The predominant clinical presentation was extrapulmonary (12 cases, 48%), followed by pulmonary (11 cases, 44%) and a combination of the two (2 cases, 8%). Regarding comorbidities, AIDS, alcoholism and smoking, respectively, were present in 33.3% of the study population. Outcomes were as follows: 22 cases of cure (88%); 2 transfers (8%); and 1 death (4%). The proportion of health care workers diagnosed with tuberculosis in the period studied was 2.53%. The results show the need for heath care workers who work in the tuberculosis control program to fill out the field "professional occupation" on the tuberculosis case registry database reporting forms. In addition, this situation draws attention to the need to implement an occupational tuberculosis control program.

Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Deverick J.; Podgorny, Kelly; Berríos-Torres, Sandra I.; Bratzler, Dale W.; Dellinger, E. Patchen; Greene, Linda; Nyquist, Ann-Christine; Saiman, Lisa; Yokoe, Deborah S.; Maragakis, Lisa L.; Kaye, Keith S.

2014-01-01

PURPOSE Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format designed to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing their surgical site infection (SSI) prevention efforts. This document updates “Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute Care Hospitals,”1 published in 2008. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.2 PMID:24799638

Ethical issues associated with in-hospital emergency from the Medical Emergency Team's perspective: a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabrini, Luca; Giannini, Alberto; Pintaudi, Margherita; Semeraro, Federico; Radeschi, Giulio; Borga, Sara; Landoni, Giovanni; Troiano, Herbert; Luchetti, Marco; Pellis, Thomas; Ristagno, Giuseppe; Minoja, Giulio; Mazzon, Davide; Alampi, Daniela

2016-01-01

Medical Emergency Teams (METs) are frequently involved in ethical issues associated to in-hospital emergencies, like decisions about end-of-life care and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. MET involvement offers both advantages and disadvantages, especially when an immediate decision must be made. We performed a survey among Italian intensivists/anesthesiologists evaluating MET's perspective on the most relevant ethical aspects faced in daily practice. A questionnaire was developed on behalf of the Italian scientific society of anesthesia and intensive care (SIAARTI) and administered to its members. Decision making criteria applied by respondents when dealing with ethical aspects, the estimated incidence of conflicts due to ethical issues and the impact on the respondents' emotional and moral distress were explored. The questionnaire was completed by 327 intensivists/anesthesiologists. Patient life-expectancy, wishes, and the quality of life were the factors most considered for decisions. Conflicts with ward physicians were reported by most respondents; disagreement on appropriateness of ICU admission and family unpreparedness to the imminent patient death were the most frequent reasons. Half of respondents considered that in case of conflicts the final decision should be made by the MET. Conflicts were generally recognized as causing increased and moral distress within the MET members. Few respondents reported that dedicated protocols or training were locally available. Italian intensivists/anesthesiologists reported that ethical issues associated with in-hospital emergencies are occurring commonly and are having a significant negative impact on MET well-being. Conflicts with ward physicians happen frequently. They also conveyed that hospitals don't offer ethics training and have no protocols in place to address ethical issues.

Epidemiology and resistance features of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from the ward environment and patients in the burn ICU of a Chinese hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Yali; Shen, Xiaodong; Huang, Guangtao; Zhang, Cheng; Luo, Xiaoqiang; Yin, Supeng; Wang, Jing; Hu, Fuquan; Peng, Yizhi; Li, Ming

2016-08-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic pathogen that causes severe nosocomial infections, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Over the past decades, an everincreasing number of hospital outbreaks caused by A. baumannii have been reported worldwide. However, little attention has been directed toward the relationship between A. baumannii isolates from the ward environment and patients in the burn ICU. In this study, 88 A. baumannii isolates (26 from the ward environment and 62 from patients) were collected from the burn ICU of the Southwest Hospital in Chongqing, China, from July through December 2013. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results showed that drug resistance was more severe in isolates from patients than from the ward environment, with all of the patient isolates being fully resistant to 10 out of 19 antimicrobials tested. Isolations from both the ward environment and patients possessed the β-lactamase genes bla OXA-51, bla OXA-23, bla AmpC, bla VIM, and bla PER. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), these isolates could be clustered into 4 major PFGE types and 4 main sequence types (ST368, ST369, ST195, and ST191) among which, ST368 was the dominant genotype. Epidemiologic and molecular typing data also revealed that a small-scale outbreak of A. baumannii infection was underway in the burn ICU of our hospital during the sampling period. These results suggest that dissemination of β-lactamase genes in the burn ICU might be closely associated with the high-level resistance of A. baumannii, and the ICU environment places these patients at a high risk for nosocomial infection. Cross-contamination should be an important concern in clinical activities to reduce hospitalacquired infections caused by A. baumannii.

Epidemiology of electrical and lightning-related injuries among Canadian children and youth, 1997-2010: A Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Böhrer, Madeleine; Stewart, Samuel A; Hurley, Katrina F

2017-06-27

Introduction Although death due to electrical injury and lightning are rare in children, these injuries are often preventable. Twenty years ago, most injuries occurred at home, precipitated by oral contact with electrical cords, contact with wall sockets and faulty electrical equipment. We sought to assess the epidemiology of electrical injuries in children presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) that participate in the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP). This study is a retrospective review of electrical and lightning injury data from CHIRPP. The study population included children and youth aged 0-19 presenting to participating CHIRPP EDs from 1997-2010. Age, sex, year, setting, circumstance and disposition were extracted. Variables were tested using Fisher's exact test and simple linear regression. The dataset included 1183 electrical injuries, with 84 (7%) resulting in hospitalization. Most events occurred at home in the 2-5 year age group and affected the hands. Since 1997 there has been a gradual decrease in the number of electrical injuries per year (plightning were rare (n=19). No deaths were recorded in the database. Despite the decrease in the number of electrical injuries per year, a large portion of injuries still appear to be preventable. Further research should focus on effective injury prevention strategies.

Epidemiology, etiology and outcomes of burn patients in a Referral Burn Hospital, Tehran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Mehdi Soltan Dallal

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Burns and its complications are regarded as a major problem in the society. Skin injuries resulted from ultraviolet radiation, radioactivity, electricity or chemicals as well as respiratory damage from smoke inhalation are considered burns. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology and outcome of burn patients admitted to Motahari Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Methods: Two hundred patients with second-degree burns admitted to Motahari Referral Center of Burn in Tehran, Iran. They were studied during a period of 12 months from May 2012 to May 2013. During the first week of treatment swabs were collected from the burn wounds after cleaning the site with sterile normal saline. Samples were inoculated in blood agar and McConkey agar, then incubation at 37 C for 48 hours. Identification was carried out according to standard conventional biochemical tests. Treatment continued up to epithelial formation and wound healing. Results of microbial culture for each patient was recorded. Healing time of the burn wounds in patients was recorded in log books. Chi-square test and SPSS Software v.19 (IBM, NY, USA were used for data analysis. Results: Our findings indicate that the most causes of burns are hot liquids in 57% of cases and flammable liquid in 21% of cases. The most cases of burns were found to be in the range of 21 to 30 percent with 17.5% and 7% in male and female respectively. Gram-negative bacteria were dominated in 85.7% and among them pseudomonas spp. with 37.5% were the most common cause of infected burns, followed by Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter and Klebsiella spp. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the most cause of burns in both sex is hot liquid. Men were more expose to burn than women and this might be due to the fact that men are involved in more dangerous jobs than female. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism encountered in burn infection.

Japanese hospitals--culture and competition: a study of ten hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Anbäcken, O

1994-01-01

Japanese health care is characterized by a pluralistic system with a high degree of private producers. Central government regulates the prices and the financing system. All citizens are covered by a mandatory employment-based health insurance operating on a non-profit basis. The consumer has a free choice of physician and hospital. A comparison between Japan, Sweden and some other countries shows significant dissimilarities in the length of stay, number of treatments per hospital bed and year and the staffing of hospitals. About 80 per cent of the hospitals and 94 per cent of the clinics are privately owned. The typical private hospital owned by a physician has less than 100 beds. In this paper, data collected (1992/93) in an empirical study of Japanese hospitals and their leadership is presented. Also discussed are the hospitals' style of management, tools and strategies for competition and competences--personal and formal skills required of the leadership in the hospital. There follows a study of ten hospitals, among which hospital directors and chief physicians were interviewed. Interviews are also made with key persons in the Ministry of Health and Welfare and other organizations in the health care field. The result is also analysed from a cultural perspective--'what kind of impact does the Japanese culture have on the health care organization?' and/or 'what kind of sub-culture is developed in the Japanese hospitals'. Some comparisons are made with Sweden, USA, Canada and Germany. The different roles of the professions in the hospital are included in the study as well as the incentives for different kinds of strategies--specialization, growing in size, investments in new equipment, different kind of ownership and hospitals. Another issue discussed is the attempt to uncover whether there is an implicit distribution of specialties--silent agreements between hospitals, etc.

[The balanced scorecard. "Tool or toy" in hospitals].

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkmann, A; Gebhard, F; Isenmann, R; Bothner, U; Mohl, U; Schwilk, B

2003-10-01

The change in hospital funding with diagnosis related groups (DRG), medical advances as well as demographic changes will call for new quantitative and qualitative standards imposed on German hospitals. Increasing costs and competition in the health care sector requires new and innovative strategies for resource management. Today's policy is mainly defined by rationing and intensified workload. The introduction of DRGs will presumably further constrict management perspectives on pure financial aspects. However, to ensure future development, compassionate services and continued existence of hospitals, a balance of seemingly conflicting perspectives, such as finance, customer, process, learning and growth are of utmost importance. Herein doctors and nurses in leading positions should play a key role in changing management practice. For several years the balanced scorecard has been successfully used as a strategic management concept in non-profit organizations, even in the health care sector. This concept complies with the multidimensional purposes of hospitals and focuses on policy deployment. Finally it gives the opportunity to involve all employees in the original development, communication and execution of a balanced scorecard approach.

Challenges of using Hospital Information Systems by nurses: comparing academic and non-academic hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadian, Leila; Dorosti, Nafise; Khajouei, Reza; Gohari, Sadrieh Hajesmaeel

2017-06-01

Hospital Information Systems (HIS) are used for easy access to information, improvement of documentation and reducing errors. Nonetheless, using these systems is faced with some barriers and obstacles. This study identifies the challenges and the obstacles of using these systems in the academic and non-academic hospitals in Kerman. This is a cross-sectional study which was carried out in 2015. The statistical population in this study consisted of the nurses who had been working in the academic and non-academic hospitals in Kerman. A questionnaire consisting of two sections was used. The first section consisted of the demographic information of the participants and the second section comprised 34 questions about the challenges of HIS use. Data were analyzed by the descriptive and statistical analysis (t-test, and ANOVA) using SPSS 19 software. The most common and important challenges in the academic hospitals were about human environment factors, particularly "negative attitude of society toward using HIS". In the non-academic hospitals, the most common and important challenges were related to human factors, and among them, "no incentive to use system" was the main factor. The results of the t-test method revealed that there was a significant relationship between gender and the mean score of challenges related to the organizational environment category in the academic hospitals and between familiarity with HIS and mean score of human environment factors (pinformation systems are the factors related to the human environment and the human factors. The results of this study can bring a good perspective to the policy makers and the managers regarding obstacles of using HISs from the nurses' perspective, so that they can solve their problems and can successfully implement these systems.

Epidemiologic analysis: Prophylaxis and multidrug-resistance in surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Solís-Téllez, H; Mondragón-Pinzón, E E; Ramírez-Marino, M; Espinoza-López, F R; Domínguez-Sosa, F; Rubio-Suarez, J F; Romero-Morelos, R D

Surgical site infection is defined as an infection related to the surgical procedure in the area of manipulation occurring within the first 30 postoperative days. The diagnostic criteria include: purulent drainage, isolation of microorganisms, and signs of infection. To describe the epidemiologic characteristics and differences among the types of prophylactic regimens associated with hospital-acquired infections at the general surgery service of a tertiary care hospital. The electronic case records of patients that underwent general surgery at a tertiary care hospital within the time frame of January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014 were reviewed. A convenience sample of 728 patients was established and divided into the following groups: Group 1: n=728 for the epidemiologic study; Group 2: n=638 for the evaluation of antimicrobial prophylaxis; and Group 3: n=50 for the evaluation of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains in the intensive care unit. The statistical analysis was carried out with the SPSS 19 program, using the Mann-Whitney U test and the chi-square test. A total of 728 procedures were performed (65.9% were elective surgeries). Three hundred twelve of the patients were males and 416 were females. Only 3.98% of the patients complied with the recommended antimicrobial prophylaxis, and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains were found in the intensive care unit. A single prophylactic dose is effective, but adherence to this recommendation was not adequate. The prophylactic guidelines are not strictly adhered to in our environment. There was a significant association between the development of nosocomial infections from multidrug-resistant germs and admission to the intensive care unit. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Geriatric epidemiology of trauma in a hospital in Southern Colombia

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yolercy Vsquez; Jos Daniel Charry; Juan Daniel Ochoa; Ana Mara Gmez; Karen Herrera; Jorman Harvey Tejada; Jose Domingo Alarcn

2017-01-01

Objective: To describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of geriatric patients who were treated at a university hospital in southern Colombia. Methods: A database of trauma patients over 65 admitted between June 2014 and December 2015 was constructed. Univariate analysis was performed. Measures of central tendency and dispersion for continuous variables were calculated. Results: A total of 760 patients were analyzed, the median age was 74 years (65–98). The median injury severity score was 9 (4–25) the 71.97% were men, and overall mortality was 25.39%. The 92.10% was blunt trauma, and the main mechanism of injury was falls. Conclusions: Trauma in the elderly is a common condition with high risk of mortality. It is important to know the frequency of these injuries to provide the best possible handling. In our hospital we found that geriatric trauma is a common disease, the main cause is falls without embargos traffic accidents are common in this population.

Real world heart failure epidemiology and outcome: A population-based analysis of 88,195 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Farré, Núria; Vela, Emili; Clèries, Montse; Bustins, Montse; Cainzos-Achirica, Miguel; Enjuanes, Cristina; Moliner, Pedro; Ruiz, Sonia; Verdú-Rotellar, José María; Comín-Colet, Josep

2017-01-01

Heart failure (HF) is frequent and its prevalence is increasing. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiologic features of HF patients, the 1-year follow-up outcomes and the independent predictors of those outcomes at a population level. Population-based longitudinal study including all prevalent HF cases in Catalonia (Spain) on December 31st, 2012. Patients were divided in 3 groups: patients without a previous HF hospitalization, patients with a remote (>1 year) HF hospitalization and patients with a recent (population studied. Some comorbidity, an all-cause hospitalization or emergency department visit the previous year were associated with a worse outcome.

A compendium of strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections in acute care hospitals: 2014 updates.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoe, Deborah S; Anderson, Deverick J; Berenholtz, Sean M; Calfee, David P; Dubberke, Erik R; Ellingson, Katherine D; Gerding, Dale N; Haas, Janet P; Kaye, Keith S; Klompas, Michael; Lo, Evelyn; Marschall, Jonas; Mermel, Leonard A; Nicolle, Lindsay E; Salgado, Cassandra D; Bryant, Kristina; Classen, David; Crist, Katrina; Deloney, Valerie M; Fishman, Neil O; Foster, Nancy; Goldmann, Donald A; Humphreys, Eve; Jernigan, John A; Padberg, Jennifer; Perl, Trish M; Podgorny, Kelly; Septimus, Edward J; VanAmringe, Margaret; Weaver, Tom; Weinstein, Robert A; Wise, Robert; Maragakis, Lisa L

2014-08-01

Since the publication of "A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals" in 2008, prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) has become a national priority. Despite improvements, preventable HAIs continue to occur. The 2014 updates to the Compendium were created to provide acute care hospitals with up-to-date, practical, expert guidance to assist in prioritizing and implementing their HAI prevention efforts. They are the product of a highly collaborative effort led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the Society for Hospital Medicine (SHM), and the Surgical Infection Society (SIS).

Epidemiology of rotavirus-associated hospital admissions in the province of Ferrara, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsella, Maria; Raimondi, Licia; Bergamini, Mauro; Sprocati, Monica; Bigi, Ettore; De Sanctis, Vincenzo; Borgna-Pignatti, Caterina; Gabutti, Giovanni

2009-12-01

Hospital discharge forms with specific codes for rotavirus gastroenteritis in children 0 to 14 years of age were reviewed in the period 2003-2005 in the province of Ferrara. A total of 4,238 children were admitted to the pediatric departments; 151 patients were diagnosed with rotavirus gastroenteritis. The average annual rate of hospitalization for rotavirus gastroenteritis was 1.54/1,000 children Italy and underline the potential impact of rotavirus vaccination in our province.

Pediatric Hospital: The Paradigms of Play in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

de Macedo, Lino; da Silva, Gláucia Faria; Setúbal, Sandra Mutarelli

2015-01-29

The role of play in Brazilian children's hospitals is highlighted, as well as the perspective of humanization in Brazil. Some aspects of our culture are crucial to understanding the importance of play considering our society. Sabara Children's Hospital ("Hospital Infantil Sabará") in Brazil is used particularly to discuss humanization. To understand the issue of play in Brazil, it is important to discuss hospitals in their social context, their history, current roles in children's care, humanization history and child development, according to the approaches of Piaget and Winnicott that are used in our culture.

Clinical characteristics and molecular epidemiology of Enterovirus infection in infants <3 months in a referral paediatric hospital of Barcelona.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodà, Diana; Pérez-Martínez, Esther; Cabrerizo, María; Trallero, Gloria; Martínez-Planas, Aina; Luaces, Carles; García-García, Juan-José; Muñoz-Almagro, Carmen; Launes, Cristian

2015-11-01

Enterovirus (EV) infection is common in infants, but the information with regard to the molecular epidemiology and the associations between types and clinical variables is very scarce. This study includes 195 children Enteroviruses cause a normally benign illness in young infants, except in some cases. • The molecular epidemiology of Enterovirus infection is not well known in European countries. • This study describes a large number of infants with Enterovirus infection and shows the seasonality of different types, and their associations with epidemiologic and clinical variables.

COMPETITIVENESS IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: ROMANIAN STYLE

OpenAIRE

Claudia-Elena TUCLEA; Ana-Mihaela PADUREAN

2008-01-01

In this paper is presented one of the important sectors of the national economy, at least from its potential for development perspective: the hospitality industry. The research interest is related to finding out the main factors of competitiveness in this field. This research attempts to identify the essential aspects of competitiveness in the hospitality industry. The objectives pursued refer to: discovering the degree to which the concept of competitiveness is understood and capitalized on ...

Dengue Outbreak in Hadramout, Yemen, 2010: An Epidemiological Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Ghouth, Abdulla Salim Bin; Amarasinghe, Ananda; Letson, G. William

2012-01-01

We analyzed surveillance data of a dengue outbreak (2010) reported to the Hadramout Health Office (Yemen) and retrospectively analyzed dengue-related epidemiological and entomological events reported in Hadramout from 2005 to 2009. A total of 630 immunoglobulin M (IgM) -confirmed dengue cases of 982 febrile cases was reported during the period from February to June of 2010; 12 cases died, giving case fatality a rate of 1.9%. Among febrile cases, the highest proportion of dengue cases (37.3%) was reported in the 15- to 24-year-old age group. The overall attack rate was 0.89/1,000. The average number of cases reported by month over the preceding 5-year period compared with the 2010 data is consistent with endemicity of dengue in the region and supports epidemic designation for the dengue activity in 2010. Recognition of endemic dengue transmission and potential for substantial dengue epidemics highlight the need for consistent laboratory-based surveillance that can support prevention and control activities accordingly. PMID:22665621

Análise epidemiológica de isolados clínicos de Pseudomonas aeruginosa provenientes de hospital universitário Epidemiologic analysis of clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from an university hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo José Valença Cordeiro Pires

2009-12-01

microorganism a relevant role among other highly prevalent bacteria involved in nosocomial infections. This study aimed to analyze epidemiologic characteristics of P. aeruginosa and to evaluate its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents at Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco METHODS: A retrospective study was performed based on the registry book of miscellaneous secretions from the bacteriology laboratory of the Hospital das Clínicas involving the period between January and June 2008. Among the secretions registered, were identified the positives samples for P. aeruginosa, whose origin was analyzed, as well as its susceptibility profile to routinely used in our laboratory antimicrobials. RESULTS: The bacteria most frequently isolated from miscellaneous secretions bacteria were P. aeruginosa (26% and S. aureus (25%. P. aeruginosa was mainly isolated from respiratory infections, with 33% of positive samples for this organism from tracheal secretions and 21% from nasal. The most effective antimicrobials against P. aeruginosa were: amikacin, imipenem, meropenem and aztreonam. CONCLUSIONS: These results show a high prevalence of P. aeruginosa in the Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Despite featuring high resistance rates to older antimicrobials, as cephalosporins first and second generations and chloramphenicol, this pathogen showed good susceptibility to agents routinely used in this hospital.

Molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from inpatients with infected diabetic foot ulcers in an Algerian University Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Djahmi, N; Messad, N; Nedjai, S; Moussaoui, A; Mazouz, D; Richard, J-L; Sotto, A; Lavigne, J-P

2013-09-01

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen cultured from diabetic foot infection (DFI). The consequence of its spread to soft tissue and bony structures is a major causal factor for lower-limb amputation. The objective of the study was to explore ecological data and epidemiological characteristics of S. aureus strains isolated from DFI in an Algerian hospital setting. Patients were included if they were admitted for DFI in the Department of Diabetology at the Annaba University Hospital from April 2011 to March 2012. Ulcers were classified according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America/International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot classification system. All S. aureus isolates were analysed. Using oligonucleotide arrays, S. aureus resistance and virulence genes were determined and each isolate was affiliated to a clonal complex. Among the 128 patients, 277 strains were isolated from 183 samples (1.51 isolate per sample). Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli were the most common isolated organisms (54.9% of all isolates). The study of ecological data highlighted the extremely high rate of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) (58.5% of all isolates). The situation was especially striking for S. aureus [(85.9% were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)], Klebsiella pneumonia (83.8%) and Escherichia coli (60%). Among the S. aureus isolates, 82.2% of MRSA belonged to ST239, one of the most worldwide disseminated clones. Ten strains (13.7%) belonged to the European clone PVL+ ST80. ermA, aacA-aphD, aphA, tetM, fosB, sek, seq, lukDE, fnbB, cap8 and agr group 1 genes were significantly associated with MRSA strains (p study shows for the first time the alarming prevalence of MDROs in DFI in Algeria. ©2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection ©2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Epidemiology of fractures of the proximal third of the femur in elderly patients ☆

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Daniel Daniachi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: This was an epidemiological study on fractures of the proximal third of the femur in elderly patients who were treated at a teaching hospital in the central region of São Paulo. METHODS: The subjects were patients over the age of 60 years who were attended over a 1-year period. A questionnaire seeking basic sociodemographic data and information on comorbidities presented and medications used was drawn up. The circumstances of the fractures and their characteristics, the treatment instituted and the intra-hospital mortality rate were evaluated. RESULTS: The 113 patients included in the study presented a mean age of 79 years. The ratio between the sexes was three women to each man. Only 30.4% of the patients reported having osteoporosis and only 0.9% had had treatment for the disease. Low-energy trauma was the cause of 92.9% of the fractures. Femoral neck fractures accounted for 42.5% of the fractures and trochanteric fractures, 57.5%. Five patients did not undergo operations; 39 underwent joint replacement; and 69 underwent osteosynthesis. The mean length of hospital stay was 13.5 days and the mean length of waiting time until surgery was 7 days. The intra-hospital mortality rate was 7.1%. CONCLUSION: The patients attended at this institution presented an epidemiological profile similar to what is found in the Brazilian literature. Chronic kidney failure is a significant factor with regard to intra-hospital mortality. Preventive measures such as early diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and regular physical activity practices were not implemented.

Epidemiology and treatment of mood disorders in a day hospital setting from 1996 to 2007: an Italian study

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Luca M

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Maria Luca,1 Giuseppa Prossimo,1 Vincenzo Messina,1 Antonina Luca,2 Salvatore Romeo,1 Carmela Calandra11Department of Medical and Surgery Specialties, Psychiatry Unit, 2Department of Neuroscience, University Hospital Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele, Catania, Sicily, ItalyBackground: The present study aimed: to assess prescribing patterns in the treatment of major depression, bipolar disorder type I, cyclothymia, and dysthymia from 1996 to 2007 in a day hospital setting; to evaluate the prevalence of the above-mentioned mood disorders and gender distribution; and to relate familiality, comorbidity, and marital status to each diagnosis.Methods: Medical records for 777 day hospital patients with a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder type I, cyclothymia, or dysthymia were grouped into two 6-year periods so as to compare the prescribing patterns of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants, first-generation antipsychotics, second-generation antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Gender, prevalence, familiality, comorbidity, and marital status were related to each diagnosis.Results: The most common mood disorder, with a female preponderance, was major depression, regardless of marital status. High percentages of familiality and comorbidity were found for major depression, while a reduction was found in the utilization of tricyclic antidepressants. There was no statistically significant difference in rates of prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors, but some irregularities were found upon evaluating each diagnosis (eg, increased utilization of these agents in dysthymia and major depression, respectively. There was an increase in prescriptions for serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, but no marked differences in

Clinical-epidemiologic profile of the schistosomal myeloradiculopathy in Pernambuco, Brazil

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Karina Conceição GM de Araújo

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This was a retrospective descriptive study on a series of cases of schistosomal myeloradiculopathy (SMR and the aim was to investigate the incidence of this disease and its clinical and epidemiological characteristics in cases diagnosed at three healthcare units in Pernambuco, Brazil between 1994-2006. The data were collected by reviewing the medical records from both the neurological and paediatric outpatient clinics and wards of the Hospital Clinics, Hospital of the Restoration and Pernambuco Mother and Child Institute. To gather the data, a spinal cord schistosomiasis evaluation protocol was used. The diagnoses were based on positive epidemiological evidence of schistosomiasis, clinical findings and laboratory tests (stool parasitological examination or rectal biopsies, magnetic resonance imaging findings and cerebrospinal fluid investigations. A total of 139 cases aged between 2-83 years were found. The most important determinants of SMR were male sex (66.2%, contact with fresh water (91%, origin in endemic regions (39.5%, lower-limb muscle weakness (100%, sensory level at the lower thoracic medulla (40.3%, myeloradicular form (76% and presence of eggs in the stool parasitological examination (48%. This sample indicates the need for intervention policies guided by diagnostic standardization, thereby avoiding disease under-notification.

Strategic planning futurists need to be capitation-specific and epidemiological.

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Kurtenbach, J; Warmoth, T

1995-09-01

Strategic planning has always been a proposition of envisioning an organization's future state, then working backward, quarter by quarter, year by year, to plot a course of action. The surer the vision, the surer the course. In our burgeoning capitated environment, the successful provider will clarify a singular vision: to manage health care for a defined population. The key will be to understand the changing needs of covered lives and to prepare the organization to serve those needs. Gone are the days when mere responsiveness to market needs and preferences could secure a hospital's competitive advantage. Nimble, surefooted, practically clairvoyant--the emerging health care leader will listen to reliable epidemiologic information and custom-design its future. Timing is everything. Depending only your market's readiness for capitation, epidemiologic research and planning techniques may not prove critical to your organization for five to seven years. Good thing, too, because a few years may be just the head start many hospitals and health care systems need. Now is the time to lay the groundwork, to cultivate new planning techniques that will work under capitation, and to jettison any outdated modes of strategic thinking. Assemble all the talent and knowledge you need, then give your best minds ample room to do their work.

Investigating Public Facility Characteristics from a Spatial Interaction Perspective: A Case Study of Beijing Hospitals Using Taxi Data

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Xiaoqing Kong

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Services provided by public facilities are essential to people’s lives and are closely associated with human mobility. Traditionally, public facility access characteristics, such as accessibility, equity issues and service areas, are investigated mainly based on static data (census data, travel surveys and particular records, such as medical records. Currently, the advent of big data offers an unprecedented opportunity to obtain large-scale human mobility data, which can be used to study the characteristics of public facilities from the spatial interaction perspective. Intuitively, spatial interaction characteristics and service areas of different types and sizes of public facilities are different, but how different remains an open question, so we, in turn, examine this question. Based on spatial interaction, we classify public facilities and explore the differences in facilities. In the research, based on spatial interaction extracted from taxi data, we introduce an unsupervised classification method to classify 78 hospitals in 6 districts of Beijing, and the results better reflect the type of hospital. The findings are of great significance for optimizing the spatial configuration of medical facilities or other types of public facilities, allocating public resources reasonably and relieving traffic pressure.

Implementation of Provider Perspectives Resulted in Proper Health Care Resource Utilization

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mclean, Hugh

2001-01-01

.... One such system is Provider Perspectives. This study shows that Provider Perspectives significantly decreased Emergency Room utilization and subsequently increased the usage of primary care clinics at Martin Army Community Hospital and Winn...

Reimbursement in hospital-based vascular surgery: Physician and practice perspective.

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Perri, Jennifer L; Zwolak, Robert M; Goodney, Philip P; Rutherford, Gretchen A; Powell, Richard J

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine change in value of a vascular surgery division to the health care system during 6 years at a hospital-based academic practice and to compare physician vs hospital revenue earned during this period. Total revenue generated by the vascular surgery service line at an academic medical center from 2010 through 2015 was evaluated. Total revenue was measured as the sum of physician (professional) and hospital (technical) net revenue for all vascular-related patient care. Adjustments were made for work performed, case complexity, and inflation. To reflect the effect of these variables, net revenue was indexed to work relative value units (wRVUs), case mix index, and consumer price index, which adjusted for work, case complexity, and inflation, respectively. Differences in physician and hospital net revenue were compared over time. Physician work, measured in RVUs per year, increased by 4%; case complexity, assessed with case mix index, increased by 10% for the 6-year measurement period. Despite stability in payer mix at 64% to 69% Medicare, both physician and hospital vascular-related revenue/wRVU decreased during this period. Unadjusted professional revenue/wRVU declined by 14.1% (P = .09); when considering case complexity, physician revenue/wRVU declined by 20.6% (P = .09). Taking into account both case complexity and inflation, physician revenue declined by 27.0% (P = .04). Comparatively, hospital revenue for vascular surgery services decreased by 13.8% (P = .07) when adjusting for unit work, complexity, and inflation. At medical centers where vascular surgeons are hospital based, vascular care reimbursement decreased substantially from 2010 to 2015 when case complexity and inflation were considered. Physician reimbursement (professional fees) decreased at a significantly greater rate than hospital reimbursement for vascular care. This trend has significant implications for salaried vascular surgeons in hospital

Epidemiology of Sepsis-like Illness in Young Infants Major Role of Enterovirus and Human Parechovirus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Eveline P.; van den Beuken, Monique G. A.; van Elzakker, Erika P. M.; Wolthers, Katja C.; Sprij, Arwen J.; Lopriore, Enrico; Walther, Frans J.; Brus, Frank

2018-01-01

Background: Sepsis-like illness is a main cause for hospital admission in young infants. Our aim was to investigate incidence, epidemiology and clinical characteristics of enterovirus (EV) and human parechovirus (HPeV) infections in young infants with sepsis-like illness. Methods: This is a

Facilitating central line-associated bloodstream infection prevention: a qualitative study comparing perspectives of infection control professionals and frontline staff.

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McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Hefner, Jennifer L

2014-10-01

Infection control professionals (ICPs) play a critical role in implementing and managing healthcare-associated infection reduction interventions, whereas frontline staff are responsible for delivering direct and ongoing patient care. The objective of our study was to determine if ICPs and frontline staff have different perspectives about the facilitators and challenges of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention program success. We conducted key informant interviews at 8 hospitals that participated in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality CLABSI prevention initiative called "On the CUSP: Stop BSI." We analyzed interview data from 50 frontline nurses and 26 ICPs to identify common themes related to program facilitators and challenges. We identified 4 facilitators of CLABSI program success: education, leadership, data, and consistency. We also identified 3 common challenges: lack of resources, competing priorities, and physician resistance. However, the perspective of ICPs and frontline nurses differed. Whereas ICPs tended to focus on general descriptions, frontline staff noted program specifics and often discussed concrete examples. Our results suggest that ICPs need to take into account the perspectives of staff nurses when implementing infection control and broader quality improvement initiatives. Further, the deliberate inclusion of frontline staff in the implementation of these programs may be critical to program success. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Current Status of the Disease Caused by Enterovirus 71 Infections: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Molecular Epidemiology, and Vaccine Development

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Chang, Ping-Chin; Chen, Shou-Chien; Chen, Kow-Tong

2016-01-01

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections have a major public health impact in the Asia-Pacific region. We reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and molecular epidemiology of EV71 infection as well as EV71 vaccine development. Previous studies were found using the search terms “enterovirus 71” and “epidemiology” or “pathogenesis” or “molecular epidemiology” or “vaccine” in Medline and PubMed. Articles that were not published in the English language, manuscripts without an abstract, and opinion articles were excluded from the review. The reported epidemiology of cases caused by EV71 infection varied from country to country; seasonal variations in incidence were observed. Most cases of EV71 infection that resulted in hospitalization for complications occurred in children less than five years old. The brainstem was the most likely major target of EV71 infection. The emergence of the EV71 epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region has been associated with the circulation of different genetic lineages (genotypes B3, B4, C1, C2, and C4) that appear to be undergoing rapid evolutionary changes. The relationship between the gene structure of the EV71 virus and the factors that ensure its survival, circulation, and evasion of immunity is still unknown. EV71 infection has emerged as an important global public health problem. Vaccine development, including the development of inactivated whole-virus live attenuated, subviral particles, and DNA vaccines, has been progressing. PMID:27618078

Common geriatric emergencies in a rural hospital in South-Eastern ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-11-02

Nov 2, 2011 ... epidemiologically recognized as constitutional risk factor ... Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive hospital-based study of 216 geriatric patients who .... (hypertension and hypertension-related heart failure) the ... [7,8] This finding has ... measured with sphygmomanometer, majority of geriatric.

ٍEffective factors on the Incidence of medication errors from the nursing staff perspective in various department of Fasa Hospital

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Mostafa Bizhani

2013-06-01

Full Text Available  Background and Objective: The incidence of medical errors is deemed one of the unavoidable cases of serious threats to the health and safety of patients. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing medication errors from the perspective of the nursing staff. Materials and Methods: This descriptive -analytic study recruited 80 nurses working in various wards in Fasa Hospital. The nurses were selected via the availability sampling method, and their perspective on factors affecting medication errors was gathered using a questionnaire designed for this study. The data were analyzed with SPSS-15 software.   Results: The most important causes of medication errors were work fatigue, low nurse-to-patient ratio, long working hours, high density of work in units, and doing other tasks. Other variables such as age and gender as well as factors effective on the incidence of medication errors are mentioned in the full text. Conclusion: From the nurses’ standpoint, workload and the patient-to-nurse ratio were the most significant factors leading to medication errors.

[The Importance of Vector Management for Prevention of Hospital Infections].

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Çetin, Hüseyin

2015-09-01

Many researches show that cockroaches, ants, some other arthropods and also rodents in hospitals, can act as potential vectors of medically important bacteria, fungi and parasites. The results of microbiological studies show that these animals play a significant role in the epidemiology of hospital infections. These vectors may be found inside of the kitchens, patient rooms, toilets, medicine stores, canteen and wards in health care environments. The importance of vector control in order to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections in healthcare facilities was discussed in this paper. This study also gives information on integrated control methods for vectors in hospitals.

Landscape epidemiology: An emerging perspective in the mapping and modelling of disease and disease risk factors

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Nnadi Nnaemeka Emmanuel

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Landscape epidemiology describes how the temporal dynamics of host, vector, and pathogen populations interact spatially within a permissive environment to enable transmission. It also aims at understanding the vegetation and geologic conditions that are necessary for the maintenance and transmission of a particular pathogen. The current review describes the evolution of landscape epidemiology. As a science, it also highlights the various methods of mapping and modeling diseases and disease risk factors. The key tool to characterize landscape is satellite remote sensing and these data are used as inputs to drive spatial models of transmission risk.

Epidemiology of candidemia in neonatal intensive care units: a persistent public health problem.

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Lovero, G; De Giglio, O; Montagna, O; Diella, G; Divenuto, F; Lopuzzo, M; Rutigliano, S; Laforgia, N; Caggiano, G; Montagna, M T

2016-01-01

Candidemia has become an increasingly important problem in infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Candida species are the third most common agents of late-onset infections in critically ill neonates and they are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. In this study we evaluated the epidemiology of Candida bloodstream infections in the NICU of an Italian university hospital during a 15-year period. Our specific aims were to analyze the change in species distribution and the vitro susceptibility of these yeasts to fluconazole (FCZ) and amphotericin B (AmB). A retrospective study of candidemia in the NICU of a university hospital in southern Italy, covering the years 2000-2014 was carried out. The isolates were identified using the VITEK2 yeast identification system and antifungal susceptibility was determined using the E-test method. Among the 57 patients with confirmed candidemia, 60% were males (n = 34 cases) and 82% (n = 47) had a gestational age of 24-32 weeks. Twenty-seven neonates (47%) had a very low birth weight (<1500 g), 20 (35%) an extremely low birth weight (<1000 g), and 10 (18%) a low birth weight (<2500 g). The most important potential risk factors were the placement of a central venous catheter, total parenteral nutrition, and endotracheal intubation (100%, each). Candida albicans was the most frequent yeast (47%), followed by Candida parapsilosis (44%). The proportion of Candida non-albicans increased slightly, from 46% in 2000-2004 to 71% in 2010-2014 (χ2 test for trend, p = 0.030). All isolates were susceptible to FCZ and AmB. The detection in this epidemiologic study of an increase in Candida non-albicans highlights the importance of correct species-level identification in the rapid diagnosis for an efficient treatment of candidemia. Knowledge of the local epidemiological trends in Candida species isolated in blood cultures will facilitate therapeutic decision-making.

A longer stay for the kissing disease: epidemiology of bacterial tonsillitis and infectious mononucleosis over a 20-year period.

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Lennon, P; Saunders, J; Fenton, J E

2013-02-01

Anecdotally, infectious mononucleosis is considered a more severe infection than bacterial tonsillitis, requiring a longer hospital stay. However, there is little in the literature comparing the epidemiology of the two conditions. This study aimed to compare the epidemiology of bacterial tonsillitis and infectious mononucleosis, in particular any differences in the length of in-patient stay. The hospital in-patient enquiry system was used to analyse patients admitted with bacterial tonsillitis and infectious mononucleosis between 1990 and 2009 inclusive. There was a total of 3435 cases over the 20 years: 3064 with bacterial tonsillitis and 371 with infectious mononucleosis. The mean length of stay was 3.22 days for bacterial tonsillitis and 4.37 days for infectious mononucleosis. The median length of stay for each condition was compared using the Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test, and a significant difference detected (p mononucleosis have a significantly longer stay in hospital than those with bacterial tonsillitis.

Spontaneous fungal peritonitis: Epidemiology, current evidence and future prospective.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, Marco; Leone, Sebastiano

2016-09-14

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a complication of ascitic patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD); spontaneous fungal peritonitis (SFP) is a complication of ESLD less known and described. ESLD is associated to immunodepression and the resulting increased susceptibility to infections. Recent perspectives of the management of the critically ill patient with ESLD do not specify the rate of isolation of fungi in critically ill patients, not even the antifungals used for the prophylaxis, neither optimal treatment. We reviewed, in order to focus the epidemiology, characteristics, and, considering the high mortality rate of SFP, the use of optimal empirical antifungal therapy the current literature.

Children Hospitalized With Varicella in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glode Helmuth, Ida; Broccia, Marcella Ditte; Glenthøj, Jonathan Peter

2017-01-01

is not part of the national immunization program and there is no national surveillance of varicella. The primary aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of children hospitalized with varicella in Denmark. The secondary aim was to validate the sensitivity and completeness...... of the Danish National Patient Register. METHODS: Active surveillance of children hospitalized with varicella was carried out at 4 pediatric departments. In the Danish National Patient Register, we identified all children discharged with an International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision code...... of varicella from the 4 departments. We used a capture-recapture analysis to estimate the "true" number of hospitalized children with varicella. RESULTS: By active surveillance, we identified 86 children eligible for clinical description. In 87% of cases, the children were 0-4 years of age. Complications were...

A social epidemiological study on HIV/AIDS in a village of Henan Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Jin; Xiao, Shuiyuan; Zhou, Liang; Tang, Yong; Xu, Guangming; Luo, Dan; Yi, Qifeng

2013-01-01

The HIV/AIDS epidemic caused by commercial blood donation in rural Henan Province of China in the early- to mid-1990s is the largest known cohort in the world related to blood donation but is not fully described. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemic, epidemiology, and social epidemiology of commercial blood donation and HIV/AIDS. Both qualitative and quantitative mixed methods were used. A village was randomly selected from the 38 key HIV/AIDS pandemic villages in Henan Province. "Demographic Data Form" was applied to collect demographic information of each resident. Focus groups were held for the managers, some residents, members of "HIV/AIDS Work-Team" (organized by the Henan Provincial Government) in the village. Every village physician, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), school header, and other stakeholders were interviewed individually. The social epidemiology of HIV/AIDS was analyzed under three perspectives of the framework: individual, social, and structural perspectives. In this village, there were 2335 residents, 484 (20.3%) were former donors, 107 (4.6%) were PLWHA, and 96.3% of PLWHA were infected through commercial blood donation. Individually, low education and plasma donation were the risky factors of HIV/AIDS infection. Socially, the epidemic was geography-, kinship-, and conformity-related. Structurally, the related macrostructure factor was policy endorsement of national blood products. The microstructure factors were poverty and value belief on male child in passing down generations. It is concluded that commercial blood donation and HIV/AIDS epidemic in the village are symbiotically related. The epidemic is temporary and socially determined.

Demographic profile and epidemiology of injury in Mthatha, South Africa.

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Dhaffala, A; Longo-Mbenza, B; Kingu, J H; Peden, M; Kafuko-Bwoye, A; Clarke, M; Mazwai, E L

2013-12-01

To determine the magnitude, socio-demographic and epidemiological characteristics of injury at a Provincial referral hospital. This review was conducted on all trauma patients admitted at the Mthatha Hospital Complex and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from the 1(st) January 1997 to the 31(st) December 2000. The incident rate of injuries was 3.2% (n=2460/75,833 total admissions). Injured patients were mostly black (80%) and males (ratio: 5 men: 1 woman). Only 8.1% of injured patients were transported to hospital by ambulances. The leading causes of injuries were inter-personal violence accounting for 60% of cases, and motor vehicle accidents accounting for 19%; of them 38% were due to poor visibility, over speeding, and fatigue. The overall mortality was 33% (n=821) independently predicted by poverty (OR=8.2 95%CI 6-11.1; P40 years(OR=7.8 95%CI 7.7-12.1;P<0.0001). The burden of injury is a mass issue that warrants regional attention with quality of care and training.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF DRUG INTOXICATION IN CHILDREN

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F. Cheraghali M. Taymori

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Unintentional drug intoxication is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in young children. In order to study the epidemiological pattern of childhood drug poisoning in Golestan province, all cases diagnosed with poisoning from 1997 to 2002 in the only pediatric hospital in province were recruited. During this period 563 cases of poisoned children were hospitalized in Taleqani hospital, of these 305 cases were due to drug poisoning. Opium was responsible for more than half of the poisoning cases, and 91% of deaths, among drug intoxicated children. Metoclopramide, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsants were among the other frequent causes of poisoning. Neurological symptoms were the most prominent symptoms of poisoning and more than 80% of cases showed some neurological symptoms. Mortality rate among the cases was 3.6% and of total of 11 deaths, 10 were poisoned with opium. About 61% of cases were hospitalized between 24-48 hrs. Most of the poisoning cases in young children were unintentional and in many cases, their parents played a critical role in their intoxication. This role specially is crucial in infants and children under one year of age. Parents in Golestan province use opium widely for symptomatic treatment of routine illnesses in their young children and overdose of opium may cause severe intoxication and even death of the child.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy in the Hospital Albert Schweitzer District of Haiti.

Science.gov (United States)

Fett, James D; Carraway, Robert D; Dowell, Duane L; King, Mary Etta; Pierre, Ronald

2002-05-01

This report details current epidemiologic information on peripartum cardiomyopathy in 1 district of Haiti and represents the initial report of an ongoing investigation that addresses potential etiologic and prognostic factors. Another goal is to alert the medical community of what appears to be a high-incidence area. A detailed peripartum cardiomyopathy registry has been implemented to include a review of case records from 1994 to 2000 and subsequently to identify new cases from February 1, 2000, to July 1, 2001. The Hospital Albert Schweitzer District of Haiti is a 600-square mile area with approximately 258,000 population served by a hospital, an associated clinic, and outlying health centers. There are approximately 7740 live births annually. This report details epidemiologic information on the HAS District peripartum cardiomyopathy patients including incidence, mortality rate, complications, and prognostic factors. There were 47 confirmed patients (retrospective cohort, 20 patients; prospective cohort, 27 patients), which was approximately 1 case per 400 live births (compared with an incidence of 1 case per 3000 to 4000 live births in the United States). There were 4 deaths (14% of 29 patients with follow-up), and 7 complications (pulmonary embolism, 1 case; hemiplegia, 1 case; subsequent deterioration of heart function, 5 cases). The prognosis for subsequent pregnancy was 4 of 5 cases (80%) of recurrent congestive heart failure. Peripartum cardiomyopathy appears to be relatively common in the Hospital Albert Schweitzer District of Haiti. A core group of patients is identified for ongoing epidemiologic and immunohematologic investigation of risk factors and potential etiologic factors.

A qualitative study into the impact of fasting within a large tertiary hospital in Australia--the patients' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Sharon K; Conchin, Simone; Bloomfield-Stone, Susan

2015-07-01

This qualitative study aims to explore the physical and emotional impact of fasting from the patients' perspective. Fasting patients in hospital is common practice and generally viewed as necessary for symptom management or for safety of healthcare provision. Negative impacts of repeated or prolonged fasting on nutritional status have been well researched, but little is documented as to how fasting impacts an individual patient's psyche. Qualitative descriptive design within a tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. Twelve patients having had prolonged periods of continuous or intermittent fasting were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview between January-September 2012. Questions for interview explored each patient's experience of fasting, including physical and emotional impacts, interpretation of communication regarding fasting and the process of recommencing on fluids or foods. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used. Analyses showed six main themes: physical impacts; emotional impacts; food as structure; nil by mouth as jargon; fear of food re-introduction; and dissatisfaction regarding unnecessary fasting. Overwhelmingly, thirst was reported as the worst physical effect of fasting. In the first few days of fasting, patients became emotionally fixated on food. This quickly dissipated leading to a lack of appetite and fear of starting to eat again. Discomfort experienced by patients coupled with lack of appetite resulting from prolonged fasting and difficulty with food re-introduction strengthens the argument for reducing fasting times in hospital. When patients are fasted, proper hydration and establishing alternate routes of medication administration should be a priority. It is well recognised that fasting for prolonged periods is detrimental to health outcomes, but this study also shows the distress that fasting can cause. Inadequate hospital systems and out-dated practices need to be replaced with evidence-based, patient

[Impact of sugammadex on neuromuscular blocking agents use: a multicentric, pharmaco-epidemiologic study in French university hospitals and military hospitals].

Science.gov (United States)

Beny, K; Piriou, V; Dussart, C; Hénaine, R; Aulagner, G; Armoiry, X

2013-12-01

Seven Neuromuscular Blocking Agents (NMBA) are commercialized in France. Four of them have an intermediate duration of action. Sugammadex required the use of NMBA slightly employed in clinical practice in France. Its introduction in routine practice could have an impact on NMBA use in clinical practice. This study was then conducted to assess and compare NMBA use before and after the commercialization of sugammadex. A longitudinal, retrospective, observational study was conducted between 2008 and 2011 in French university hospitals and military hospitals. The consumption data for sugammadex and NMBA were collected using a collection grid which was filled by pharmacists or anesthesiologists. Drug use was measured by the number of vials used divided by the annual number of hospitalizations in surgery and obstetrics (HSO). An overall analysis of the annual frequency of NMBA use was firstly performed, then individual data of each hospital were analyzed. Descriptive statistical analysis including mean, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum was achieved. Thirty-four out of 39 hospitals participated in the study (87%) and analysis was performed on 26 of them (7%). The data of eight institutions were excluded due to missing values or because of the non-admission of sugammadex in their formulary. The NMBA mostly used were non-steroidal NMBA (75% of market share) with an increased use between 2008 and 2011 concerning atracurium (from 41 to 51 vials of 50mg atracurium used per 100 HSO). The overall analysis revealed an increase of the occurrence of rocuronium (between 2008 and 2011: from 1 to 4.8 vials of 50mg rocuronium used per 100 HSO). Individual analyses on each hospital showed a possible effect of sugammadex introduction on NMBA use in nine hospitals. The commercialization of sugammadex seems to have induced a discrete increase of steroidal NMBA but non-steroidal NMBA remain the leading agent in France. A long-term follow-up is deserved. Copyright © 2013 Soci

Geriatric epidemiology of trauma in a hospital in Southern Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yolercy Vasquez

2017-01-01

>Conclusions: Trauma in the elderly is a common condition with high risk of mortality. It is important to know the frequency of these injuries to provide the best possible handling. In our hospital we found that geriatric trauma is a common disease, the main cause is falls without embargos traffic accidents are common in this population.

Molecular epidemiology is becoming complex under the dynamic HIV prevalence: The perspective from Harbin, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Bing; Song, Bo; Cao, Lijun; Du, Juan; Sun, Dongying; Lin, Yuanlong; Wang, Binyou; Wang, Fuxiang; Wang, Sunran

2016-05-01

Unlike most areas of China, HIV transmission via men who have sex with men (MSM) is increasing rapidly, and has become the main route of HIV transmission in Harbin city. The purpose of the current study was to elaborate the molecular epidemiologic characteristics of the new HIV epidemic. Eighty-one HIV-1 gag gene sequences (HXB2:806-1861) from local HIV infections were isolated; CRF01_AE predominated among HIV infections (71.6%), followed by subtype B (16.5%), CRF07_BC (6.2%), and unique recombinant strains (URFs; 6.2%). URFs were most often identified in the MSM population, which consisted of a recombination of CRF01_AE with subtype B or CRF07_BC. Six clusters were formed in this analysis; clusters I and II mainly circulated in southwest China. Clusters III and IV mainly circulated in southwest, southeast, and central China. Clusters V and VI mainly circulated in north and northeast China. Clusters III and IV may facilitate the transmission of the CRF01_AE strain from the southwest to the north and northeast regions of China. HIV subtypes are becoming diverse with the persistent epidemic in this geographic region. In brief, our results indicate that the molecular epidemiology of HIV is trending to be more complex. Thus, timely molecular epidemiologic supervision of HIV is necessary, especially for the MSM population. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Media and message strategies: consumer input for hospital advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Flexner, W A; Berkowitz, E N

1981-01-01

In summary, the results of the study suggest that a potentially large segment of consumers views advertising as an appropriate way to communicate about hospital services and rates. These consumers are unique not by traditional measures of audience/patient sociodemographic characteristics, but rather by their values and outlook toward hospitals and health care providers. Effective hospital advertising should recognize this segment's perspective in the message that are part of overall advertising strategy.

Nursing students' perceptions of hospital learning environments--an Australian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Dominic S

2004-01-01

Clinical education is a vital component in the curricula of pre-registration nursing courses and provides student nurses with the opportunity to combine cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills. Various studies have suggested that not all practice settings are able to provide nursing students with a positive learning environment. In order to maximize nursing students' clinical learning outcomes, there is a need to examine the clinical learning environment. The purpose of this study was to assess pre-registration nursing students' perceptions of hospital learning environments during clinical field placement. Quantitative and qualitative methodology was used. One hundred and eight students provided quantitative data through completion of the survey instrument, the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (Actual and Preferred forms). Each form is a 5-point Likert-type questionnaire, made up of 35 items consisted of 5 scales with 7 items per scale. Qualitative data, obtained through semi-structured interview of 21 students from the same cohort, were used to explain and support the quantitative findings. There were significant differences between students' actual and preferred perceptions of the clinical learning environments. Generally students preferred a more positive and favourable clinical environment than they perceived as being actually present. Since participants consisted of nursing students from just one university nursing school in South Australia, the findings may not be representative of all nursing students in general with respect to their clinical placement. However, the value of this study lies in the resulting implication for nursing education and future research. A better understanding of what constitutes quality clinical education from the students' perspective would be valuable in providing better educational experiences.

Epidemiología de las lesiones por quemaduras Epidemiology of lesions provoked by burns

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José A Viñas Díaz

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Las quemaduras son una causa importante de muerte accidental, solo superadas por los accidentes de automóviles. Con el objetivo de conocer algunos aspectos de la epidemiología de las quemaduras en Pediatría en la provincia de Pinar del Río (Cuba, se realizó una investigación transversal, descriptiva que abarcó 26 casos con edades comprendidas entre 0-18 años, ingresados con el diagnóstico de quemaduras no intencionales en el Servicio de Caumatología del Hospital "Abel Santamaría Cuadrado" Pinar del Río. (Cuba, durante el año 2006. Se revisaron las historias clínicas y para el tratamiento de la información se utilizó la estadística descriptiva, determinando la relación entre las variables estudiadas. Se encontró que el grupo más afectado era el menor de 15 años (96.2 %, en la cocina (42.3 %por escaldadura, por líquidos calientes (53,8%. No hubo fallecidos. La prevención es un aspecto decisivo para evitar este tipo de accidente.Burns are one of the most important causes of accidental death, only exceeded by traffic accidents. This paper is aimed at knowing issues related to the epidemiology of burns in pediatric ages in Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 26 burned children (0-18 years old admitted to the Caumatology Service at "Abel Santamaria" General University Hospital, during 2006. Clinical records were the source of information and descriptive statistics for showing frequencies and X² at 95 % of certainty was used for homogeneity. The group of ages younger than 15 years old was the most affected (96.2 %. Burns were mainly produced at the kitchen (42, 3 % by hot liquids (scalds (53.8 %, among other causes without mortality. Prevention is a decisive action to avoid this type of accident.

The clinical epidemiology of spontaneous ICH in a sub-Sahara African country in the CT scan era: a neurosurgical in-hospital cross-sectional survey

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Amos Olufemi Adeleye

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background There is paucity of data-driven scientific reports from sub-Saharan Africa on the burden of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH. We have maintained a prospective consecutive in-hospital data base of cases of sICH referred for neurosurgical intervention over a 5-year period. Methods This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of the clinical epidemiology and brain-CT characterization of sICH from the data base in this region in the current era. Results There were 63 subjects, 38 (60.3% males, aged 28 to 85 years, mean 55.7 (SD, 12.7, the modal age distribution being the sixth decade. Uncontrolled hypertension was the main predisposition in the study: present, premorbid, in 79% but uncontrolled in 88% of these known cases, and exhibited malignant derangements of blood pressure in more than half. The clinical ictus to in-hospital presentation was delayed, median 72 hours; was in severe clinical state in 70%; 57% was comatose, and was complicated with fever in 57% and respiratory morbidity also in 55.6%. The main clinical symptomatology was hemiparesis, headache, vomiting and aphasia. The sICH was supratentorial on brain CT in 85.7%, ganglionic in 50.8% and thalamic in 58.3% of the latter. The bleed had CT evidence of mass effect and intraventricular extension in more than half. Twenty three patients (36.5% underwent operative interventionsConclusions In this patient population, sICH is mainly ganglionic and thalamic in location with significant rate of associated IVH. In-hospital clinical presentation is delayed and in critical state, and, the bleeding is uncontrolled hypertension related in >95%.

Pediatric Hospital: The Paradigms of Play in Brazil

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Lino de Macedo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The role of play in Brazilian children’s hospitals is highlighted, as well as the perspective of humanization in Brazil. Some aspects of our culture are crucial to understanding the importance of play considering our society. Sabara Children’s Hospital (“Hospital Infantil Sabará” in Brazil is used particularly to discuss humanization. To understand the issue of play in Brazil, it is important to discuss hospitals in their social context, their history, current roles in children’s care, humanization history and child development, according to the approaches of Piaget and Winnicott that are used in our culture.

Encephalocoele-- epidemiological variance in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteith, Stephen J; Heppner, Peter A; Law, Andrew J J

2005-06-01

Considerable variation in the epidemiology of encephalocoeles throughout the world has been described in previous studies. We analysed 46 cases of encephalocoele presenting to Auckland and Starship Children's Hospital over the last 25 years to determine if our experience differed from that seen in a typical Western population, and to determine if there was variation between the different racial groups within New Zealand. The overall incidence of encephalocoeles in the area serviced by the neurosurgical services of Auckland and Starship Children's Hospitals was 1 in 13,418 births. This rate is at the higher end of the incidence spectrum compared with previous series. Overall, New Zealand appears to demonstrate a typical Western distribution of encephalocoele location. In people of Pacific Island descent, both the rate of encephaloceles (1 per 8,873 births) and the percentage of sincipital lesions (44%) differed from the rest of the population. Additionally, a higher than expected proportion of sincipital encephalocoeles was seen in male babies (5:1 male to female ratio). In most other regards our population resembles that of western cohorts published in the literature.

Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile: a hospital-based descriptive study in Argentina and Mexico

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Gustavo Lopardo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A prospective study was conducted in four tertiary hospitals in Argentina and Mexico in order to describe the occurrence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI in these settings. The objective was to evaluate the incidence of CDI in at-risk populations in Argentina (one center and Mexico (three centers and to further explore potential study sites for vaccine development in this region. A prospective, descriptive, CDI surveillance study was conducted among hospitalized patients aged ≥40 years who had received ≥48 h of antibiotic treatment. Stool samples were collected from those with diarrhea within 30 days after starting antibiotics and analyzed for toxins A and B by ELISA, and positive samples were further tested by toxinogenic culture and restriction endonuclease analysis type assay. Overall, 466 patients were enrolled (193 in Argentina and 273 in Mexico of whom 414 completed the follow-up. Of these, 15/414 (3.6% experienced CDI episodes occurring on average 18.1 days after admission to hospital and 15.9 days after the end of antibiotics treatment. The incidence rate of CDI was 3.1 (95% CI 1.7–5.2 per 1000 patient-days during hospitalization, and 1.1 (95% CI 0.6–1.8 per 1000 patient-days during the 30-day follow-up period. This study highlighted the need for further evaluation of the burden of CDI in both countries, including the cases occurring after discharge from hospital.

Characteristics of Acute Poisoning at Two Referral Hospitals in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The epidemiology of acute poisoning in Botswana is not well established due to the limited availability of published data. In an attempt to fill this gap, this study aimed to characterise acute poisoning cases admitted to two urban hospitals in Francistown and Gaborone, Botswana. Methods: This study followed a ...

Which kind of knowledge is suitable for redesigning hospital logistic processes?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maruster, L; Jorna, RJ; Miksch, S; Hunter, J; Keravnou, E

2005-01-01

A knowledge management perspective is rarely used to model a process. Using the cognitive perspective on knowledge management in which we start our analysis with events and knowledge (bottom-up) instead of with processes and units (top-down), we propose a new approach for redesigning hospital

Changes in malaria epidemiology in a rural area of Cubal, Angola.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvador, Fernando; Cossio, Yolima; Riera, Marta; Sánchez-Montalvá, Adrián; Bocanegra, Cristina; Mendioroz, Jacobo; Eugenio, Arlette N; Sulleiro, Elena; Meredith, Warren; López, Teresa; Moreno, Milagros; Molina, Israel

2015-01-21

Scarce information about malaria epidemiology in Angola has been published. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiology of malaria at the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz (Cubal, Angola) and the fatality rate due to malaria (total and in children under five years) in the last five years. A retrospective, observational study was performed at the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz, a 400-bed rural hospital located in Benguela Province of Angola. The study population included all patients who attended the hospital from January 2009 to December 2013. Outcome variables were calculated as follows: the percentage of malaria cases (number of positive thick blood films, divided by the total thick blood films performed); the percentage of in-patients for malaria (number of in-patients diagnosed with malaria, divided by the total number of in-patients); and, the fatality rate (number of deaths due to malaria divided by the number of positive thick blood films). Overall, 23,106 thick blood films were performed, of which 3,279 (14.2%) were positive for Plasmodium falciparum infection. During this five-year period, a reduction of 40% (95% CI 37-43%, p < 0.001) in the malaria-positive slides was detected. Distribution of positive-malaria slides showed a seasonal distribution with a peak from December to March (rainy season). An average annual reduction of 52% (95% CI 50-54%, p < 0.001) in the admissions due to malaria was observed. The overall fatality rate due to malaria was 8.3%, and no significant differences in the annual fatality rate were found (p = 0.553). A reduction in the number of malaria cases and the number of admissions due to malaria has been observed at the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz, during the last five years, and incidence along the study period showed a seasonal distribution. All this information could be useful when deciding which malaria control strategies have to be implemented in this area.

Remembering myth and ritual in the everyday tectonics of hospitals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvedebrink, Tenna Doktor Olsen

2015-01-01

When discussing tectonics, the book Studies in tectonic culture by Kenneth Frampton (2001) is often mentioned for linking the ethics of architecture with a focus on structural genius. Another reference is the paper The tell-the-tale detail by Marco Frascari (1984), which in addition to Frampton put...... emphasis on both the physical construction and mental construing of architecture. With this dual perspective Frascari established a discourse in tectonic thinking which brings the tectonic expression beyond structural genius into socio-cultural realms of storytelling, myth and ritual. However, in everyday...... architecture like hospitals this perspective of construing is often neglected. In this paper, I explore if it is possible through a re-reading of Frascari’s words to inspire for a re-construction of everyday tectonics? Based on project MORE at Aalborg Hospital, I argue that the perspective of construing...

Type 2 diabetes in Brazil: epidemiology and management

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Almeida-Pititto B

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Bianca de Almeida-Pititto,1 Monike Lourenço Dias,2 Ana Carolina Franco de Moraes,3 Sandra RG Ferreira,3 Denise Reis Franco,4 Freddy Goldberg Eliaschewitz4,5 1Department of Preventive Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Department of Endocrinology, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil; 3Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 4CPClin Clinical Research Center, 5Albert Einstein Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil Abstract: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM is one of the most important epidemic diseases in the world this century, and accounts for 90% of cases of diabetes globally. Brazil is one of the most important examples of the alarming picture of T2DM in emergent societies, being the country with the fourth largest number of people with diabetes. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on diabetes in Brazil, specifically looking at the epidemiology and management of T2DM. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and LILACS to identify articles containing information on diabetes in Brazil. Official documents from the Brazilian government, World Health Organization, and International Diabetes Federation were also reviewed. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, Brazil, epidemiology, management

Dispersal of antibiotic-resistant high-risk clones by hospital networks : changing the patient direction can make all the difference

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Donker, T.; Wallinga, J.; Grundmann, H.

Background: Patients who seek treatment in hospitals can introduce high-risk clones of hospital-acquired, antibiotic-resistant pathogens from previous admissions. In this manner, different healthcare institutions become linked epidemiologically. All links combined form the national patient referral

The IAEA/WHO TLD postal dose quality audits for radiotherapy: a perspective of dosimetry practices at hospitals in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izewska, Joanna; Andreo, Pedro; Vatnitsky, Stanislav; Shortt, Ken R.

2003-01-01

Background and purpose: The IAEA/WHO TLD postal programme for external audits of the calibration of high-energy photon beams used in radiotherapy has been in operation since 1969. This work presents a survey of the 1317 TLD audits carried out during 1998-2001. The TLD results are discussed from the perspective of the dosimetry practices in hospitals in developing countries, based on the information provided by the participants in their TLD data sheets. Materials and methods: A detailed analysis of the TLD data sheets is systematically performed at the IAEA. It helps to trace the source of any discrepancy between the TLD measured dose and the user stated dose, and also provides information on equipment, dosimetry procedures and the use of codes of practice in the countries participating in the IAEA/WHO TLD audits. Result: The TLD results are within the 5% acceptance limit for 84% of the participants. The results for accelerator beams are typically better than for Co-60 units. Approximately 75% of participants reported dosimetry data, including details on their procedure for dose determination from ionisation chamber measurements. For the remaining 25% of hospitals, who did not submit these data, the results are poorer than the global TLD results. Most hospitals have Farmer type ionisation chambers calibrated in terms of air kerma by a standards laboratory. Less than 10% of the hospitals use new codes of practice based on standards of absorbed dose to water. Conclusion: Despite the differences in dosimetry equipment, traceability to different standards laboratories and uncertainties arising from the use of various dosimetry codes of practice, the determination of absorbed dose to water for photon beams typically agrees within 2% among hospitals. Correct implementation of any of the dosimetry protocols should ensure that significant errors in dosimetry are avoided

End-of-life care in the general wards of a Singaporean hospital: an Asian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Phua, Jason; Kee, Adrian Chin-Leong; Tan, Adeline; Mukhopadhyay, Amartya; See, Kay Choong; Aung, Ngu Wah; Seah, Angeline S T; Lim, Tow Keang

2011-12-01

Despite international differences in cultural perspectives on end-of-life issues, little is known of the care for the dying in the general wards of acute hospitals in Asia. We performed a retrospective medical chart review of all 683 adult patients who died without intensive care unit (ICU) admission in our Singaporean hospital in 2007. We first evaluated the prevalence of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and orders for or against life-sustaining therapies; second, if such orders were discussed with the patients and/or family members; and third, the actual treatments provided before death. There were DNR orders for 66.2% of patients and neither commitment for DNR nor cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 28.1%. Orders to limit life-sustaining therapies, including ICU admission, intubation, and vasopressors/inotropes were infrequent. Only 6.2% of the alert and conversant patients with DNR orders were involved in discussions on these orders. In contrast, such discussions with their family members occurred 82.9% of the time. Interventions in the last 24 hours of life included CPR (9.4%), intubation (6.4%), vasopressors/inotropes (14.8%), tube feeding (24.7%), and antibiotics (44.9%). Analgesia was provided in 29.1% of patients. There was a lack of commitment by doctors on orders for DNR/CPR and to limit life-sustaining therapies, infrequent discussions with patients on end-of-life decisions, and excessive burdensome interventions with inadequate palliative care for the dying. These findings may reflect certain Asian cultural biases. More work is required to improve our quality of end-of-life care.

Workplace Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms: A Study of Multi-Ethnic Hospital Employees

OpenAIRE

Hammond, Wizdom Powell; Gillen, Marion; Yen, Irene H.

2010-01-01

Workplace discrimination reports have recently increased in the U.S. Few studies have examined racial/ethnic differences and the mental health consequences of this exposure. We examined the association between self-reported workplace discrimination and depressive symptoms among a multi-ethnic sample of hospital employees. Data came from the prospective case–control Gradients of Occupational Health in Hospital Workers (GROW) study (N = 664). We used the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depre...

Ciprofloxacin : Use and resistance in Community, Nursing Home and Hospital

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hees, B.C.

2011-01-01

The aim of the studies described in this thesis was to analyze some aspects of ciprofloxacin use and clinical and (molecular) epidemiology of ciprofloxacin resistance in different settings, both within hospitals (chapter 3,4 and 6), community and nursing homes (chapter 2 and 5). With its broad

Epidemiological analysis of trauma patients following the Lushan earthquake.

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Li Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Lushan County in China's Sichuan province on April 20, 2013, resulting in 196 deaths and 11,470 injured. This study was designed to analyze the characteristics of the injuries and the treatment of the seismic victims. METHODS: After the earthquake, an epidemiological survey of injured patients was conducted by the Health Department of Sichuan Province. Epidemiological survey tools included paper-and-pencil questionnaires and a data management system based on the Access Database. Questionnaires were completed based on the medical records of inpatients with earthquake-related injuries. Outpatients or non-seismic injured inpatients were excluded. A total of 2010 patients from 140 hospitals were included. RESULTS: The most common type of injuries involved bone fractures (58.3%. Children younger than 10 years of age suffered fewer fractures and chest injuries, but more skin and soft -tissue injuries. Patients older than 80 years were more likely to suffer hip and thigh fractures, pelvis fractures, and chest injuries, whereas adult patients suffered more ankle and foot fractures. A total of 207 cases of calcaneal fracture were due to high falling injuries related to extreme panic. The most common type of infection in hospitalized patients was pulmonary infections. A total of 70.5% patients had limb dysfunction, and 60.1% of this group received rehabilitation. Most patients received rehabilitation within 1 week, and the median duration of rehabilitation was 3 weeks. The cause of death of all seven hospitalized patients who died was severe traumatic brain injuries; five of this group died within 24 h after the earthquake. CONCLUSIONS: Injuries varied as a function of the age of the victim. As more injuries were indirectly caused by the Lushan earthquake, disaster education is urgently needed to avoid secondary injuries.

Clinical, epidemiological and evolution of severe nosocomial pneumonia in intensive care unit

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Abel Arroyo- Sanchez

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics, evolution and to identify mortality factors associated in patients with SNP. Material and Methods: Descriptive study of a serie of cases of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU of a General Hospital. Medical records of patients which received medical attention and who meet the selection criteria were reviewed Results: Forty-one clinical records were evaluated. The average age was 69 old, predominantly male (68,3%. SNP was the reason of admission in 60.9% and 95.1% required mechanical ventilation. Hospital stay prior to diagnosis was 10 days, 65% of patients had some risk factor for multi resistence organisms, CPIS of entry was 9.3, cultures were positive in 39% of the cases and of these, 48.8% received proper antibiotic according to culture results. The days of stay in ICU were 20.6 days and 20 of the 41 medical records were for death patients. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics were similar between death and alive patients. An analysis of factors that could be associated with mortality SNP was made and it was found that for an age ≥ 70 years, the presence of any risk factor for multidrug resistence organism and control CPIS ≥ 6 were associated with higher mortality; while acquisition of the ICU was associated to lower mortality. Conclusions: The clinical, epidemiological characteristics and evolution of patients with SNP in our ICU were similar to those describe in the literature. Three factors associated with mortality in the ICU were identified.

Assessing knowledge, performance, and efficiency for hospital waste management-a comparison of government and private hospitals in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Mustafa; Wang, Wenping; Chaudhry, Nawaz; Geng, Yong; Ashraf, Uzma

2017-04-01

Proper management of healthcare waste is a critical concern in many countries of the world. Rapid urbanization and population growth rates pose serious challenges to healthcare waste management infrastructure in such countries. This study was aimed at assessing the situation of hospital waste management in a major city of Pakistan. Simple random sampling was used to select 12 government and private hospitals in the city. Field visits, physical measurements, and questionnaire survey method were used for data collection. Information was obtained regarding hospital waste generation, segregation, collection, storage, transportation, and disposal. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to classify the hospitals on the basis of their relative waste management efficiencies. The weighted average total waste generation at the surveyed hospitals was discovered to be 1.53 kg/patient/day of which 75.15% consisted of general waste and the remaining consisted of biomedical waste. Of the total waste, 24.54% came from the public hospital and the remaining came from the private hospitals. DEA showed that seven of the surveyed hospitals had scale or pure technical inefficiencies in their waste management activities. The public hospital was relatively less efficient than most of the private hospitals in these activities. Results of the questionnaire survey showed that none of the surveyed hospitals was carrying out waste management in strict compliance with government regulations. Moreover, hospital staff at all the surveyed hospitals had low level of knowledge regarding safe hospital waste management practices. The current situation should be rectified in order to avoid environmental and epidemiological risks.

[Epidemiological perspectives on SARS and avian influenza].

Science.gov (United States)

del Rey Calero, Juan

2004-01-01

SARS is a respiratory infection caused by Coronavirus (Nidoviruses, RNA) from which 3 groups are known. Group 1 affects dogs, cats, pigs, and the human agent is 229 E. Group 2 affects bovines or rodents, and the human agent is OC43. And group 3 corresponds to the avian pathology.... The epidemics emerged on February 2003 in Guangdong, South China, due to consumption of exotic animals (Civeta, etc.), and it spread through interperson contagion to other regions in Asia, America and Europe. Incubation period is about 2-7 days. Transmission Of the virus is person-to person, but also by excretions and residual water. Basic reproductive rate is 2 to 4, and it is considered that 2.7 persons are infected from the initial case. In June 2003, SARS affected over 8,000 people and 774 were killed. Mortality approaches to 10%, and it is higher among older people rising up to 50% in those aged over 65 years. It is important to quickly establish action protocols regarding clinical, epidemiological and prevention aspects. Avian influenza is an infection caused by type A Influenza Orthomixovirus, in which migration birds and wild ducks are the main reservoir. Avian viruses correspond to H5, H7, H9. In 1997 it was observed that type AH5N1 jumped interspecies barrier and affected 18 humans, and 6 of them died. At the end of 2003 and in 2004 this type of poultry flu was described in Asia. FAO has emphasized that sacrifice of chicken in affected farms is the most effective measure to fight against the disease. It has also been established suppression of imports from these countries. There is no evidence on interperson contagion from chicken contagion, nor on food-borne contagion to humans.

Incidence of Hospitalization Due to Child Maltreatment in Taiwan, 1996-2007: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Wan-Lin; Huang, Yu-Tung; Feng, Jui-Ying; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh

2012-01-01

Objectives: Little is known regarding the epidemiology of child maltreatment in Asian countries. This study aimed to examine the incidence of hospitalization coded as due to child maltreatment in Taiwan. Methods: We used inpatient claims data of the National Health Insurance for the years 1996 through 2007 for estimation. Hospitalization of…

[Sacroiliac joint disorders in Abidjan: epidemiological, clinical, radiological and etiological characteristics].

Science.gov (United States)

Diomandé, Mohamed; Eti, E; Ouattara, B; Cheteu, K E; Kouakou Ehaulier Soh, C L; Gbané-Koné, M; Djaha Kouassi, Jean-Mermoze; Kouakou N'zué, M

2014-10-01

The sacroiliac joint remains unknown in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies about the sacroiliac diseases are rare Aim : Describe the epidemiological, clinical, radiological and etiological characteristics of sacroiliac joint diseases in Abidjan Methods : Retrospective and descriptive study concerning 17 patients hospitalized from February 2003 to April 2010 in the department of rheumatology of university hospital center of Cocody (Abidjan) for buttock pain or others functional signs evoking sacroiliac joint which were attested by radiographic lesions. We were interested on the epidemiological, clinical and radiological characteristics and the etiologies in the sacroiliac disease. The hospital prevalence of sacroiliac diseases was 0.55% corresponding in 17 of 3067 rheumatological diseases. The female sex predominated (82.35%) and the mean age of 25.58 years. Gyneco-obstetric events were the predominant risk factors (47.05%). Sacroiliac damage was manifested by inflammatory pain (64.7%) localized at the buttock or lumbar spine, radiating to the thigh (52.9%) and was accompanied by functional disability (82.2%) and fever was not present every time (64.7%). The physical findings were the tripod sign positive (58.8%), the monopodal backing positive (41.2%) and palpation painful of sacroiliac joint. The standard radiograph revealed a blurring aspect and widening of joint space associated with demineralization (68.4%), a joint space narrowing and erosion of articular banks (23.5%). The etiologies found were bacterial arthritis (82.3%) mainly pyogenic (70.58%), osteoarthritis (11.7%) and ankylosing spondylitis (5.9%). Sacroiliac joint diseases are rare in rheumatology practice in Abidjan, concern younger subjects and are dominated by pyogenic sacroiliitis.

Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases from west to east.

Science.gov (United States)

Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter L

2017-02-01

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) show considerable variation over time and across geographical regions. The first studies on the epidemiology of IBD were mainly from traditionally high-incidence areas, such as North America, and northern and western Europe. In the last two decades, more and more studies have been published from Eastern European and Asian countries with increasing incidence rates from some regions. According to recent studies, the high incidence and prevalence of IBD in some Western countries is plateauing and in some Eastern countries increasing incidences have been reported. In the era of new multicenter epidemiological studies with common methodology the direct comparison of incidences and prevalences has became possible. In the present review we summarized the currently available literatures on west-east differences in the incidences and prevalences of IBD. © 2017 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

[Epidemiological, clinical, cytologic and immunophenotypic aspects of acute leukemia in children: the experience at the hematology laboratory of IBN SINA University Hospital Center].

Science.gov (United States)

Doumbia, Mariam; Uwingabiye, Jean; Bissan, Aboubacar; Rachid, Razine; Benkirane, Souad; Masrar, Azlarab

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological, cytologic and immunophenotypic aspects of acute leukemias (AL) in children diagnosed at IBN SINA University Hospital Center and to determine the concordance between cytology and immunophenotyping results. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the hematology laboratory of IBN SINA University Hospital Center between June 2012 and May 2014. Among the 104 cases with diagnosed AL, 52% were boys with a sex-ratio H/F= 1.32, the average age was 5.7 years. The distribution of different types of AL was: lymphoid AL (LAL) (74%), myeloid (AML) (20.2%), biphenotypic AL (BAL) (65.8%). Among the LALs, 78% were classified as B LAL and 22% as T LAL. Clinical signs were mainly presented with tumor syndrome (73.1%), fever (61%) and hemorrhagic syndrome (50%). The most common blood count abnormalities were: thrombopenia (89.4%), anemia (86.5%), hyperleukocytosis (79.8%). The rate of peripheral and bone marrow blasts was statistically higher for LAL than for AML and BAL (p <0.001). The rate of relapse and mortality was 21.2% and 16. 3% respectively. Concordance rate between the results of cytology and of immunophenotyping was 92.7% for LAL and 82.6% for AML. Diagnosis of AL is always based primarily on cytology. Immunophenotyping allowed us to make a better distinction between acute leukemias. The management of paediatric AL is a major health problem which requires specialized care centers.

Morbidity, Mortality, and Seasonality of Influenza Hospitalizations in Egypt, November 2007-November 2014

OpenAIRE

Kandeel, Amr; Dawson, Patrick; Labib, Manal; Said, Mayar; El-Refai, Samir; El-Gohari, Amani; Talaat, Maha

2016-01-01

Background Influenza typically comprises a substantial portion of acute respiratory infections, a leading cause of mortality worldwide. However, influenza epidemiology data are lacking in Egypt. We describe seven years of Egypt?s influenza hospitalizations from a multi-site influenza surveillance system. Methods Syndromic case definitions identified individuals with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) admitted to eight hospitals in Egypt. Standardized demographic and clinical data were ...

Hospital readmission after management of appendicitis at freestanding children's hospitals: contemporary trends and financial implications.

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Rice-Townsend, Samuel; Hall, Matthew; Barnes, Jeff N; Baxter, Jessica K; Rangel, Shawn J

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize epidemiologic trends and cost implications of hospital readmission after treatment of pediatric appendicitis. We conducted a 5-year retrospective cohort analysis of 30-day readmission rates for 52,054 patients admitted with appendicitis at 38 children's hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Patients were categorized as "uncomplicated" (postoperative length of stay [LOS] ≤ 2 days) or "complicated" (LOS ≥ 3 days and ≥ 4 consecutive days of antibiotics) and analyzed for demographic data, treatment received during the index admission, readmission rates, and excess LOS and hospital-related costs attributable to readmission encounters. The aggregate 30-day readmission rate was 8.7%, and this varied significantly by disease severity and management approach (uncomplicated appendectomy, 5.6%; complicated appendectomy, 12.8%; drainage, 22.6%; antibiotics only, 24.6%; P management approach (uncomplicated appendectomy, $1946 [31% relative increase]; complicated appendectomy, $6524 [53% increase]; drainage, $6827 [48% increase]; antibiotics only, $5835 [58% increase]; P < .0001). In freestanding children's hospitals, readmission after treatment of pediatric appendicitis is a relatively common and costly occurrence. Collaborative efforts are needed to characterize patient, treatment, and hospital-related risk factors as a basis for developing preventative strategies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hospital Mortality in the United States following Acute Kidney Injury

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Jeremiah R. Brown

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Acute kidney injury (AKI is a common reason for hospital admission and complication of many inpatient procedures. The temporal incidence of AKI and the association of AKI admissions with in-hospital mortality are a growing problem in the world today. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology of AKI and its association with in-hospital mortality in the United States. AKI has been growing at a rate of 14% per year since 2001. However, the in-hospital mortality associated with AKI has been on the decline starting with 21.9% in 2001 to 9.1 in 2011, even though the number of AKI-related in-hospital deaths increased almost twofold from 147,943 to 285,768 deaths. We discuss the importance of the 71% reduction in AKI-related mortality among hospitalized patients in the United States and draw on the discussion of whether or not this is a phenomenon of hospital billing (coding or improvements to the management of AKI.

Hospital keeps cool and cuts its costs.

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Pitman, Russ

2013-09-01

Energy usage--particularly electricity--in hospitals is a hot topic, and the sector is under increasing pressure to reduce load and carbon emissions. The cost of 'going green' can, however, be high, and many hospitals shy away from more costly energy-efficient solutions, instead selecting cheaper options to suit the short term. One Hampshire healthcare facility, however, bucked the trend when selecting new chilled water plant, thanks to the advice and expertise of chartered consulting engineers, Henderson Green. Examining whether other hospitals should follow suit, managing director, Russ Pitman, explains 'why considering the bigger picture perspective does pay off'.

Epidemiological study of facial fractures at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service, Santa Casa de Misericordia Hospital Complex, Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamboni, Rodrigo Andrighetti; Wagner, João Carlos Birnfeld; Volkweis, Maurício Roth; Gerhardt, Eduardo Luis; Buchmann, Elissa Muller; Bavaresco, Caren Serra

2017-01-01

to investigate the incidence and etiology of face trauma with diagnosis of facial fracture treated at the Buccomaxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology Service of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital Complex in Porto Alegre. we conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective epidemiological study of 134 trauma victims with 153 facial fractures. the male gender was the most affected (86.6%) and the incidence was higher in the age group from 21 to 30 years. The main etiology was assault (38.8%), followed by motor vehicle accidents (14.2%), motorcycle accidents (13.4%), falls (9%), road accidents (6.7%), sports accidents (5.2%), work accidents (5.2%), firearm injuries (4.5%) and cycling accidents (3%). The most frequent fractures were those of the zygomatic complex (44.5%), followed by fractures of the mandible (42.5%), maxillary bone (5.2%), nasal bones (4.5%) and zygomatic arch (3.3%). the fractures of the zygomatic complex and the mandible were the ones with the highest incidence in the facial traumas, having physical assaults as their main cause.

Epidemiological study of facial fractures at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service, Santa Casa de Misericordia Hospital Complex, Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil

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Rodrigo Andrighetti Zamboni

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objectives: to investigate the incidence and etiology of face trauma with diagnosis of facial fracture treated at the Buccomaxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology Service of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital Complex in Porto Alegre. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective epidemiological study of 134 trauma victims with 153 facial fractures. Results: the male gender was the most affected (86.6% and the incidence was higher in the age group from 21 to 30 years. The main etiology was assault (38.8%, followed by motor vehicle accidents (14.2%, motorcycle accidents (13.4%, falls (9%, road accidents (6.7%, sports accidents (5.2%, work accidents (5.2%, firearm injuries (4.5% and cycling accidents (3%. The most frequent fractures were those of the zygomatic complex (44.5%, followed by fractures of the mandible (42.5%, maxillary bone (5.2%, nasal bones (4.5% and zygomatic arch (3.3%. Conclusion: the fractures of the zygomatic complex and the mandible were the ones with the highest incidence in the facial traumas, having physical assaults as their main cause.

Economic rationalism and the cost efficiency of hospital chaplaincy: an Australian study.

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Newell, C; Carey, L B

2000-01-01

Health care reform is also occurring in Australia and effects hospital chaplaincy programs. "Economic rationalism" is the philosophic foundation of this effort and its contrast with the values inherit in hospital chaplaincy are highlighted. Selected research results from the Australian system are described and the authors offer a perspective on the cost efficiency of hospital chaplaincy.

[Epidemiological trends 1992-2007 in a neonatal intensive care unit].

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Feria-Kaiser, Carina; Vargas, Mario H; Furuya, María E Y

2013-01-01

progressive advances in neonatal care are expected to change the epidemiological profile of patients and conditions seen in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Thus, the objective of this study was to identify such changes in a NICU in Mexico City. retrospectively, we analyzed age, gender, weight at admission, hospital stay,diagnoses at discharge and cause of death in 5,192 patients admitted from 1992-2007. in the study period,patients were admitted at a progressively older age (median of 3 days old in 1992 to 9 in 2007; rS = 0.87) and lower weight (2,800-2,343 g; rS = –0.56), while length of hospital stay was stable (approximately, 9 days). Over 90% patients had cardiological, digestive and/or pulmonary diseases, and most patients (71.4%) had conditions for which a surgical approach is the usual treatment. Cardiological and neurologic problems increased (rS = 0.86 and 0.85, respectively),while pulmonary diseases decreased (rS = –0.79). Mortality and autopsy rate diminished from 26 to 15% (rS = –0.80),and from 32.5 to 10.7% (rS = –0.53), respectively. Conditions more frequently associated with death were urologic/nephrologic and infectious diseases. epidemiological patterns in our NICU are clearly changing, and thus searching for similar time trends in other NICU is warranted.

Effect of final evaluation on job motivation from the perspective of nurses in Ahvaz Hospitals in 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Faraji Khiavi, F; Amiri, E; Ghobadian, S; Roshankar, R

2015-01-01

Background: Increasing nurses' motivation is among the most important and complex nursing duties. Performance evaluation system could be used as a means to improve the quantity and quality of the human resources. Therefore, current research objected to evaluate the effect of final evaluation on job motivation from the perspective of nurses in Ahvaz hospitals according to Herzberg scheme. Methods: This investigation conducted in 2012. Research population included nurses in Ahvaz educational hospitals. The sample size was calculated 120 and sampling was performed based on classification and random sampling. Research instrument was a self-made questionnaire with confirmed validity through content analysis and Cronbach's alpha calculated at 0.94. Data examined utilizing ANOVA, T-Test, and descriptive statistics. Results: The nurses considered the final evaluation on management policy (3.2 ± 1.11) and monitoring (3.15 ± 1.15) among health items and responsibility (3.15 ± 1.15) and progress (3.06 ± 1.24) among motivational factors relatively effective. There was a significant association between scores of nurses' views in different age and sex groups (P = 0.01), but there was no significant association among respondents in educational level and marital status. Conclusion: Experienced nurses believed that evaluation has little effect on job motivation. If annual assessment of the various job aspects are considered, managers could use it as an efficient tool to motivate nurses.

Epidemiology of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing E. coli and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in the Northern Dutch-German Cross-Border Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xuewei; García-Cobos, Silvia; Ruijs, Gijs J H M; Kampinga, Greetje A; Arends, Jan P; Borst, Dirk M; Möller, Lieke V; Holman, Nicole D; Schuurs, Theo A; Bruijnesteijn van Coppenraet, Lesla E; Weel, Jan F; van Zeijl, Jan H; Köck, Robin; Rossen, John W A; Friedrich, Alexander W

2017-01-01

Objectives: To reveal the prevalence and epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and/or plasmid AmpC (pAmpC)- and carbapenemase (CP) producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) across the Northern Dutch-German border region. Methods: A point-prevalence study on ESBL/pAmpC/CP producing Enterobacteriaceae and VRE was carried out in hospitalized patients in the Northern Netherlands ( n = 445, 2012-2013) and Germany ( n = 242, 2012). Healthy individuals from the Dutch community ( n = 400, 2010-2012) were also screened. In addition, a genome-wide gene-by-gene approach was applied to study the epidemiology of ESBL- Escherichia coli and VRE. Results: A total of 34 isolates from 27 patients (6.1%) admitted to Dutch hospitals were ESBL/pAmpC positive and 29 ESBL- E. coli , three pAmpC- E. coli , one ESBL- Enterobacter cloacae , and one pAmpC- Proteus mirabilis were found. In the German hospital, 18 isolates (16 E. coli and 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae ) from 17 patients (7.7%) were ESBL positive. In isolates from the hospitalized patients CTX-M-15 was the most frequently detected ESBL-gene. In the Dutch community, 11 individuals (2.75%) were ESBL/pAmpC positive: 10 ESBL - E. coli (CTX-M-1 being the most prevalent gene) and one pAmpC E. coli . Six Dutch (1.3%) and four German (3.9%) hospitalized patients were colonized with VRE. Genetic relatedness by core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) was found between two ESBL- E. coli isolates from Dutch and German cross-border hospitals and between VRE isolates from different hospitals within the same region. Conclusion: The prevalence of ESBL/pAmpC- Enterobacteriaceae was similar in hospitalized patients across the Dutch-German border region, whereas VRE prevalence was slightly higher on the German side. The overall prevalence of the studied pathogens was lower in the community than in hospitals in the Northern Netherlands. Cross-border transmission of ESBL- E. coli and VRE seems

Epidemiology of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing E. coli and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in the Northern Dutch–German Cross-Border Region

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Xuewei Zhou

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To reveal the prevalence and epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL- and/or plasmid AmpC (pAmpC- and carbapenemase (CP producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE across the Northern Dutch–German border region.Methods: A point-prevalence study on ESBL/pAmpC/CP producing Enterobacteriaceae and VRE was carried out in hospitalized patients in the Northern Netherlands (n = 445, 2012–2013 and Germany (n = 242, 2012. Healthy individuals from the Dutch community (n = 400, 2010–2012 were also screened. In addition, a genome-wide gene-by-gene approach was applied to study the epidemiology of ESBL-Escherichia coli and VRE.Results: A total of 34 isolates from 27 patients (6.1% admitted to Dutch hospitals were ESBL/pAmpC positive and 29 ESBL-E. coli, three pAmpC-E. coli, one ESBL-Enterobacter cloacae, and one pAmpC-Proteus mirabilis were found. In the German hospital, 18 isolates (16 E. coli and 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae from 17 patients (7.7% were ESBL positive. In isolates from the hospitalized patients CTX-M-15 was the most frequently detected ESBL-gene. In the Dutch community, 11 individuals (2.75% were ESBL/pAmpC positive: 10 ESBL-E. coli (CTX-M-1 being the most prevalent gene and one pAmpC E. coli. Six Dutch (1.3% and four German (3.9% hospitalized patients were colonized with VRE. Genetic relatedness by core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST was found between two ESBL-E. coli isolates from Dutch and German cross-border hospitals and between VRE isolates from different hospitals within the same region.Conclusion: The prevalence of ESBL/pAmpC-Enterobacteriaceae was similar in hospitalized patients across the Dutch–German border region, whereas VRE prevalence was slightly higher on the German side. The overall prevalence of the studied pathogens was lower in the community than in hospitals in the Northern Netherlands. Cross-border transmission of ESBL-E. coli and VRE seems unlikely

Esophageal achalasia in the Veneto region: epidemiology and treatment. Epidemiology and treatment of achalasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gennaro, Nicola; Portale, Giuseppe; Gallo, Costantino; Rocchietto, Stefano; Caruso, Valentina; Costantini, Mario; Salvador, Renato; Ruol, Alberto; Zaninotto, Giovanni

2011-03-01

Achalasia is a rare esophageal motility disorder, incurable but amenable to palliative treatments to relieve dysphagia. Given the rarity of the disease, there is a paucity of data from population-based studies on incidence and outcome of the two treatments most commonly used in clinical practice, i.e., endoscopic pneumatic dilation (PD) and surgical myotomy (SM). A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted on the Veneto region, in north-eastern Italy. All patients with achalasia as their primary diagnosis between 2001 and 2005 were identified and their demographics and treatment details obtained. The overall incidence of achalasia was 1.59 cases/100,000/year. Achalasia patients were mainly seen at University Hospitals. Fifty-five percent of the patients received treatment, 23.3% SM and 31.8% PD. The cumulative risk of any subsequent intervention for achalasia was 20% in treated patients (29.7% in patients treated primarily with PD and 4% in patients treated with SM first). The epidemiology of achalasia in the Veneto Region is in line with the situation reported elsewhere and did not change between 2001 and 2005. Achalasia patients are mostly seen at University Hospitals. We observed a greater risk of subsequent intervention for patients previously treated with PD compared with SM.

Epidemiological studies in mucus hypersecretion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestbo, Jørgen

2002-01-01

Respiratory mucus in epidemiology has mainly been studied using standardized questionnaires including questions on cough and phlegm. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) much controversy exists regarding the importance of mucus hypersecretion. From being the key element in the 'British...... hypothesis' it was reduced to being an innocent disorder in the 1980s but is now again recognized as a potential risk factor for an accelerated loss of lung function. Whereas early studies in mainly occupational cohorts showed no effect of chronic mucus hypersecretion on decline in lung function......, such an effect has been shown in subsequent studies on general population samples. Chronic mucus hypersecretion also increases risk of hospital admission which may be due to an increased risk of lower respiratory tract infection. In severe COPD this may explain the increased mortality associated...

Measurement of the Strategic Performance of Hospitality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a balanced scorecard Approach (BSC

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Mohamed A.M. El-Hindawy, Dr.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we planned to realize the marketing managers’ perceptions through their perception of Strategic Performance Dimension of view and the Balanced scorecard (BSC technique for the Measurement of the Strategic Performance.The respondents in this study were a group of Marketing managers working in the Hospitality Sector (Experiences in number of years of Madina, Saudi Arabia Hospitality. It has been observed trough literature and a limited Marketing Managers’ survey that only financial perspective measures are used with objectives. Balanced Score Card (BSC enables to measure objectives across four perspectives: (1 the financial perspective, (2 the customer perspective, (3 the internal business process perspective, and (4 the learning and growth perspective. Hypothesis is formulated about the relationship between perception of managers about the Dimension of view and the Balanced Score Card (BSC and the years of Experience. We also designed a questionnaire that was distributed to a population of 130 Marketing managers in the field of Hospitality. The year of study was 2011, with Marketing managers’ survey instruments that measure Balanced Score Card Dimension. The result of the study shows that there are significant differences between the three types of Hospitality Marketing managers’ (Experience in number of years:1-3years, 3-6years, more than 6years. After discussing the findings, some policy implications are suggested for the Hospitality, as well to practitioners seeking an understanding of a practical managerial tool. Limitations of the study are highlighted and further research discussions are suggested.

Some considerations concerning the challenge of incorporating social variables into epidemiological models of infectious disease transmission.

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Barnett, Tony; Fournié, Guillaume; Gupta, Sunetra; Seeley, Janet

2015-01-01

Incorporation of 'social' variables into epidemiological models remains a challenge. Too much detail and models cease to be useful; too little and the very notion of infection - a highly social process in human populations - may be considered with little reference to the social. The French sociologist Émile Durkheim proposed that the scientific study of society required identification and study of 'social currents'. Such 'currents' are what we might today describe as 'emergent properties', specifiable variables appertaining to individuals and groups, which represent the perspectives of social actors as they experience the environment in which they live their lives. Here we review the ways in which one particular emergent property, hope, relevant to a range of epidemiological situations, might be used in epidemiological modelling of infectious diseases in human populations. We also indicate how such an approach might be extended to include a range of other potential emergent properties to represent complex social and economic processes bearing on infectious disease transmission.

Recording of hospitalizations for acute exacerbations of COPD in UK electronic health care records

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Rothnie KJ

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Kieran J Rothnie,1,2 Hana Müllerová,3 Sara L Thomas,2 Joht S Chandan,4 Liam Smeeth,2 John R Hurst,5 Kourtney Davis,3 Jennifer K Quint1,2 1Respiratory Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine and Public Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; 2Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; 3Respiratory Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, Uxbridge, London; 4Medical School, 5UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, UK Background: Accurate identification of hospitalizations for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD within electronic health care records is important for research, public health, and to inform health care utilization and service provision. We aimed to develop a strategy to identify hospitalizations for AECOPD in secondary care data and to investigate the validity of strategies to identify hospitalizations for AECOPD in primary care data. Methods: We identified patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD with linked Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES data. We used discharge summaries for recent hospitalizations for AECOPD to develop a strategy to identify the recording of hospitalizations for AECOPD in HES. We then used the HES strategy as a reference standard to investigate the positive predictive value (PPV and sensitivity of strategies for identifying AECOPD using general practice CPRD data. We tested two strategies: 1 codes for hospitalization for AECOPD and 2 a code for AECOPD other than hospitalization on the same day as a code for hospitalization due to unspecified reason. Results: In total, 27,182 patients with COPD were included. Our strategy to identify hospitalizations for AECOPD in HES had a sensitivity of 87.5%. When compared with HES, using a code suggesting hospitalization for AECOPD in CPRD resulted in a PPV of 50.2% (95

Hospital Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) incidence as a risk factor for hospital-associated CDI.

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Miller, Aaron C; Polgreen, Linnea A; Cavanaugh, Joseph E; Polgreen, Philip M

2016-07-01

Environmental risk factors for Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) have been described at the room or unit level but not the hospital level. To understand the environmental risk factors for CDI, we investigated the association between institutional- and individual-level CDI. We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project state inpatient databases for California (2005-2011). For each patient's hospital stay, we calculated the hospital CDI incidence rate corresponding to the patient's quarter of discharge, while excluding each patient's own CDI status. Adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, we ran a pooled logistic regression to determine individual CDI risk attributable to the hospital's CDI rate. There were 10,329,988 patients (26,086 cases and 10,303,902 noncases) who were analyzed. We found that a percentage point increase in the CDI incidence rate a patient encountered increased the odds of CDI by a factor of 1.182. As a point of comparison, a 1-percentage point increase in the CDI incidence rate that the patient encountered had roughly the same impact on their odds of acquiring CDI as a 55.8-day increase in their length of stay or a 60-year increase in age. Patients treated in hospitals with a higher CDI rate are more likely to acquire CDI. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occupational pesticide exposure among Kenyan agricultural workers : an epidemiological and public health perspective

OpenAIRE

Ohayo - Mitoko, G.J.A.

1997-01-01

This study was part of the Kenyan component of a multi-centre epidemiologic survey, the East African Pesticides Project. The general objective was to assess the health hazards posed by pesticide handling, storage and use in agricultural estates and small farms in selected rural agricultural communities in Kenya where cotton, tobacco, flowers and other horticultural crops are grown, with a view to developing strategies for the prevention and control of pesticide poisoning. 666 agric...

The improving efficiency frontier of religious not-for-profit hospitals.

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Harrison, Jeffrey P; Sexton, Christopher

2006-01-01

By using data-envelopment analysis (DEA), this study evaluates the efficiency of religious not-for-profit hospitals. Hospital executives, healthcare policy makers, taxpayers, and other stakeholders benefit from studies that improve hospital efficiency. Results indicate that overall efficiency in religious hospitals improved from 72% in 1998 to 74% in 2001. What is more important is that the number of religious hospitals operating on the efficiency frontier increased from 40 in 1998 to 47 in 2001. This clearly documents that religious hospitals are becoming more efficient in the management of resources. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the economic importance of encouraging increased efficiency throughout the healthcare industry.

Nosocomial transmission of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Danish Hospitals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hetem, D.J.; Westh, H.; Boye, K.; Jarlov, J.O.; Bonten, M.J.M.; Bootsma, M.C.J.

2012-01-01

Objectives The emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has changed the epidemiology of MRSA infections worldwide. In contrast to hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA), CA-MRSA more frequently affects healthy individuals, both with and without recent

Nosocomial transmission of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Danish Hospitals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hetem, David J; Westh, Henrik; Boye, Kit

2012-01-01

exposure. Despite obvious epidemiological differences, it is unknown whether differences in nosocomial transmissibility exist. We have, therefore, quantified the transmissibility, expressed by the single admission reproduction number (R(A)), of CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA in hospital settings in Denmark....

Determinants of the direct cost of heart failure hospitalization in a public tertiary hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Parissis, John; Athanasakis, Kostas; Farmakis, Dimitrios; Boubouchairopoulou, Nadia; Mareti, Christina; Bistola, Vasiliki; Ikonomidis, Ignatios; Kyriopoulos, John; Filippatos, Gerasimos; Lekakis, John

2015-02-01

Heart failure (HF) is the first reason for hospital admission in the elderly and represents a major financial burden, the greatest part of which results from hospitalization costs. We sought to analyze current HF hospitalization-related expenditure and identify predictors of cost in a public tertiary hospital in Europe. We performed a retrospective chart review of 197 consecutive patients, aged 56±16years, 80% male, with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 30±10%, hospitalized for HF in a major university hospital in Athens, Greece. The survey involved the number of hospitalization days, laboratory investigations and medical therapies. Patients who were hospitalized in CCU/ICU or underwent interventional procedures or device implantations were excluded from analysis. Costs were estimated based on the Greek healthcare system perspective in 2013. Patients were hospitalized for a median of 7 days with a total direct cost of €3198±3260/patient. The largest part of the expenses (79%) was attributed to hospitalization (ward), while laboratory investigations and medical treatment accounted for 17% and 4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, pre-admission New York Heart Association NYHA class (p=0.001), serum creatinine (p=0.003) and NT-proBNP (p=0.004) were significant independent predictors of hospitalization cost. Direct cost of HF hospitalization is high particularly in patients with more severe symptoms, profound neurohormonal activation and renal dysfunction. Strategies to lower hospitalization rates are warranted in the current setting of financial constraints faced by many European countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Out-of-hospital noninvasive ventilation: epidemiology, technology and equipment

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John Scott Baird

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Noninvasive ventilation has been utilized successfully in the pre- and out-of-hospital settings for a variety of disorders, including respiratory distress syndrome in neonates, neurologic and pulmonary diseases in infants and children, and heart failure as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults. A variety of interfaces as well as mechanical positive pressure devices have been used: simple continuous positive airway pressure devices are available which do not require sophisticated equipment, while a broad spectrum of ventilators have been used to provide bilevel positive airway pressure. Extensive training of transport teams may be important, particularly when utilizing bilevel positive airway pressure in infants and children.

Implementing hospital innovation in Taiwan: the perspectives of institutional theory and social capital.

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Yang, Chen-Wei

2015-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop an innovation model for hospital organisations. For this purpose, this study explores and examines the determinants, capabilities and performance in the hospital sector. First, this discusses three categories of determinants that affect hospitals' innovative capability studies: (1) knowledge stock; (2) social ties; and (3) institutional pressures. Then, this study examines the idea of innovative hospital capabilities, defined as the ability of the hospital organisation to innovate their knowledge. Finally, the hospital evaluation rating, which identifies performance in the hospital sector, was examined. This study empirically tested the theoretical model at the organisation level. The findings suggest that a hospital's innovative capabilities are influenced by its knowledge stock, social ties, institutional pressures and the impact of hospital performance. However, in attempts to keep hospitals aligned with their highly institutionalised environments, it may prove necessary for hospital administrators to pay more attention to both existing knowledge stock and the process of innovation if the institutions are to survive. Finally, implications for theory and practitioners complete this study. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Czech mass methanol outbreak 2012: epidemiology, challenges and clinical features.

Science.gov (United States)

Zakharov, Sergey; Pelclova, Daniela; Urban, Pavel; Navratil, Tomas; Diblik, Pavel; Kuthan, Pavel; Hubacek, Jaroslav A; Miovsky, Michal; Klempir, Jiri; Vaneckova, Manuela; Seidl, Zdenek; Pilin, Alexander; Fenclova, Zdenka; Petrik, Vit; Kotikova, Katerina; Nurieva, Olga; Ridzon, Petr; Rulisek, Jan; Komarc, Martin; Hovda, Knut Erik

2014-12-01

Methanol poisonings occur frequently globally, but reports of larger outbreaks where complete clinical and laboratory data are reported remain scarce. The objective of the present study was to report the data from the mass methanol poisoning in the Czech Republic in 2012 addressing the general epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes, and to present a protocol for the use of fomepizole ensuring that the antidote was provided to the most severely poisoned patients in the critical phase. A combined prospective and retrospective case series study of 121 patients with confirmed methanol poisoning. From a total of 121 intoxicated subjects, 20 died outside the hospital and 101 were hospitalized. Among them, 60 survived without, and 20 with visual/CNS sequelae, whereas 21 patients died. The total and hospital mortality rates were 34% and 21%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis found pH 0.05). Severity of metabolic acidosis, state of consciousness, and serum ethanol on admission were the only significant parameters associated with mortality. The type of dialysis or antidote did not appear to affect mortality. Recommendations that were issued for hospital triage of fomepizole administration allowed conservation of valuable antidote in this massive poisoning outbreak for those patients most in need.

Geriatric resources in acute care hospitals and trauma centers: a scarce commodity.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Cathy A; Mion, Lorraine C; Minnick, Ann

2013-12-01

The number of older adults admitted to acute care hospitals with traumatic injury is rising. The purpose of this study was to examine the location of five prominent geriatric resource programs in U.S. acute care hospitals and trauma centers (N = 4,865). As of 2010, 5.8% of all U.S. hospitals had at least one of these programs. Only 8.8% of trauma centers were served by at least one program; the majorities were in level I trauma centers. Slow adoption of geriatric resource programs in hospitals may be due to lack of champions who will advocate for these programs, lack of evidence of their impact on outcomes, or lack of a business plan to support adoption. Future studies should focus on the benefits of geriatric resource programs from patients' perspectives, as well as from business case and outcomes perspectives. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Building new hospitals: a UK infection control perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Stockley, J M; Constantine, C E; Orr, K E

2006-03-01

Infection control input is vital throughout the planning, design and building stages of a new hospital project, and must continue through the commissioning (and decommissioning) process, evaluation and putting the facility into full clinical service. Many hospitals continue to experience problems months or years after occupying the new premises; some of these could have been avoided by infection control involvement earlier in the project. The importance of infection control must be recognized by the chief executive of the hospital trust and project teams overseeing the development. Clinical user groups and contractors must also be made aware of infection control issues. It is vital that good working relationships are built up between the infection control team (ICT) and all these parties. ICTs need the authority to influence the process. This may require their specific recognition by the Private Finance Initiative National Unit, the Department of Health or other relevant authorities. ICTs need training in how to read design plans, how to write effective specifications, and in other areas with which they may be unfamiliar. The importance of documentation and record keeping is paramount. External or independent validation of processes should be available, particularly in commissioning processes. Building design in relation to infection control needs stricter national regulations, allowing ICTs to focus on more local usage issues. Further research is needed to provide evidence regarding the relationship between building design and the prevalence of infection.

A bacteriological study of hospital beds before and after disinfection with phenolic disinfectant

OpenAIRE

Denise de Andrade; Emília L. S. Angerami; Carlos Roberto Padovani

2000-01-01

In hospitals, one of the ways to control microbial contamination is by disinfecting the furniture used by patients. This study's main objective was to evaluate the microbiological condition of hospital mattresses before and after such disinfection, in order to identify bacteria that are epidemiologically important in nosocomial infection, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. RODAC plates with two different culture media were used to collect specimens. Patient beds were se...

Hospital safety climate and safety behavior: A social exchange perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Ancarani, Alessandro; Di Mauro, Carmela; Giammanco, Maria D

Safety climate is considered beneficial to the improvement of hospital safety outcomes. Nevertheless, the relations between two of its key constituents, namely those stemming from leader-subordinate relations and coworker support for safety, are still to be fully ascertained. This article uses the theoretical lens of Social Exchange Theory to study the joint impact of leader-member exchange in the safety sphere and coworker support for safety on safety-related behavior at the hospital ward level. Social exchange constructs are further related to the existence of a shame-/blame-free environment, seen as a potential antecedent of safety behavior. A cross-sectional study including 166 inpatients in hospital wards belonging to 10 public hospitals in Italy was undertaken to test the hypotheses developed. Hypothesized relations have been analyzed through a fully mediated multilevel structural equation model. This methodology allows studying behavior at the individual level, while keeping into account the heterogeneity among hospital specialties. Results suggest that the linkage between leader support for safety and individual safety behavior is mediated by coworker support on safety issues and by the creation of a shame-free environment. These findings call for the creation of a safety climate in which managerial efforts should be directed not only to the provision of new safety resources and the enforcement of safety rules but also to the encouragement of teamwork and freedom to report errors as ways to foster the capacity of the staff to communicate, share, and learn from each other.

Economic impact of enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in patients with acute ischemic stroke: a hospital perspective of the PREVAIL trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Pineo, Graham; Lin, Jay; Stern, Lee; Subrahmanian, Tarun; Annemans, Lieven

2012-03-01

The PREVAIL (Prevention of VTE [venous thromboembolism] after acute ischemic stroke with LMWH [low-molecular-weight heparin] and UFH [unfractionated heparin]) study demonstrated a 43% VTE risk reduction with enoxaparin versus UFH in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). A 1% rate of symptomatic intracranial and major extracranial hemorrhage was observed in both groups. To determine the economic impact, from a hospital perspective, of enoxaparin versus UFH for VTE prophylaxis after AIS. A decision-analytic model was constructed and hospital-based costs analyzed using clinical information from PREVAIL. Total hospital costs were calculated based on mean costs in the Premier™ database and from wholesalers acquisition data. Costs were also compared in patients with severe stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score ≥14) and less severe stroke (NIHSS score <14). The average cost per patient due to VTE or bleeding events was lower with enoxaparin versus UFH ($422 vs $662, respectively; net savings $240). The average anticoagulant cost, including drug-administration cost per patient, was lower with UFH versus enoxaparin ($259 vs $360, respectively; net savings $101). However, when both clinical events and drug-acquisition costs were considered, the total hospital cost was lower with enoxaparin versus UFH ($782 vs $922, respectively; savings $140). Hospital cost-savings were greatest ($287) in patients with NIHSS scores ≥14. The higher drug cost of enoxaparin was offset by the reduction in clinical events as compared to the use of UFH for VTE prophylaxis after an AIS, particularly in patients with severe stroke. Copyright © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Costs and epidemiological changes of chronic diseases: implications and challenges for health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Arredondo, Armando; Aviles, Raul

2015-01-01

The need to integrate economic and epidemiological aspects in the clinical perspective leads to a proposal for the analysis of health disparities and to an evaluation of the health services and of the new challenges which are now being faced by health system reforms in middle income countries. To identify the epidemiological changes, the demand for health services and economic burden from chronic diseases (diabetes and hypertension) in a middle income county. We conducted longitudinal analyses of costs and epidemiological changes for diabetes and hypertension in the Mexican health system. The study population included both the insured and uninsured populations. The cost-evaluation method was used, based on the instrumentation and consensus techniques. To estimate the epidemiological changes and financial consequences for 2014-2016, six models were constructed according to the Box-Jenkins technique, using confidence intervals of 95%, and the Box-Pierce test. Regarding epidemiological changes expected in both diseases for 2014 vs. 2016, an increase is expected, although results predict a greater increase for diabetes, 8-12% in all three studied institutions, (p management per patient in the case of diabetes, and from $485 to $622 in patients with hypertension. Comparing financial consequences of health services required by insured and uninsured populations, the greater increase (23%) will be for the insured population (p financial requirements of both diseases will amount to 19.5% of the total budget for the uninsured and 12.5% for the insured population. If the risk factors and the different health care models remain as they currently are, the economic impact of expected epidemiological changes on the social security system will be particularly strong. Another relevant challenge is the appearance of internal competition in the use and allocation of financial resources with programs for other chronic and infectious diseases.

Evaluation of epidemiological studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breckow, J.

1995-01-01

The publication is intended for readers with a professional background in radiation protection who are not experts in the field of epidemiology. The potentials and the limits of epidemiology are shown and concepts and terminology of radioepidemilogic studies as well as epidemiology in general are explained, in order to provide the necessary basis for understanding or performing evaluations of epidemiologic studies. (orig./VHE) [de

A Strategic Framework for Improving the Patient Experience in Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Birkelien, Natalie L

Hospitals are taking new approaches to satisfy consumers and deliver on customer expectations by enhancing their patients' comprehensive experience. The HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey and value-based purchasing initiatives have tied reimbursement to patient satisfaction scores, bringing patient perspectives on care to the forefront of hospitals' strategic priorities. This essay reviews the patient experience literature and argues that hospitals should adopt an expanded approach beyond HCAHPS measures to enhance the patient experience. Such an approach allows providers to deliver quality outcomes that satisfy patients' wants and needs.

Tuberculosis patients hospitalized in the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon-a retrospective observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolp, S M; Huson, M A M; Janssen, S; Beyeme, J O; Grobusch, M P