Burns ; complications ; Humans ; Shock ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Universal Precautions

Health-care workers are at risk of exposure to occupational infections with subsequent risk of contracting diseases, disability, and even death. A systematic collection of occupational disease data is useful for monitoring current trends in work situations and disease exposures; however, these data are usually limited due to under-reporting. The objective of this study was to review literature related to knowledge, risk perceptions, and practices regarding occupational exposures to infectious diseases in Malaysian health-care settings, in particular regarding blood-borne infections, universal precautions, use of personal protective equipment, and clinical waste management. The data are useful for determining improvements in knowledge and risk perceptions among health-care workers with developments of health policies and essential interventions for prevention and control of occupational diseases.
Communicable Diseases ; Health Policy ; Malaysia* ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Exposure ; Personal Protective Equipment ; Universal Precautions ; Waste Management

Adult ; China ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health Services ; Pneumoconiosis ; prevention & control ; Universal Precautions

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Infant ; Iron ; deficiency ; Reference Values ; Universal Precautions

Health care workers are exposed to a small risk of being infected with HIV as a result of occupational exposures. The risks for occupational transmission of HIV vary with the type and severity of exposures. The average risk for HIV transmission after a percutaneous exposure to HIV-infected blood has been estimated to be approximately 0.3%. Health care workers can minimize their risk of occupational HIV infection by following universal precautions, ensuring timely postexposure management, and considering the administration of postexposure prophylaxis.
Collodion ; Delivery of Health Care ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Occupational Exposure ; Universal Precautions

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the status of performance on standard precautions among nursing students and to examine the mediating effects of internal health locus of control on the relationship between awareness and performance on standard precautions of hospital-acquired infection control. METHODS: The participants in this study were 134 nursing students. The measurements included a standard precautions awareness and performance scale, and a multidimensional health locus of control scale. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and simple and multiple regression techniques. Mediation analysis was performed by the Baron and Kenny's method and Sobel test. RESULTS: The mean score of standard awareness, standard performance, and internal health locus of control about standard precaution were 174.30±9.08; 169.48±12.04; and 20.43±2.82; respectively. There was a positive correlation between standard awareness and performance (r=.414, p<.001). Also, standard awareness was significantly correlated with internal health locus of control (r=.413, p=.014). Internal health locus of control showed partial mediating effects in the relationship between awareness and performance. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a need to improve the internal health locus of control of nursing students. Therefore, an internal health locus of control improvement program should improve performance on standard precautions for patients and themselves.
Cross Infection ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Internal-External Control* ; Methods ; Negotiating* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing* ; Universal Precautions

Nurses are at the forefront of providing hands-on care to patients infected with HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Therefore, appropriate and sensible infection control precaution should be taken at all times. The purpose of this study is to find out nurse's learning needs about HIV/AIDS ; and nurse's willingness to perform nursing care to HIV/AIDS patients ; and the degree of following universal precautions in nursing care ; and the degree of knowledge of HIV/AIDS to provide information on the guide for the further continuing education. The respondents of this study were 280 nurses in a university hospital in Kwang-Ju city. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed by using percentages, means, Pearson's correlation, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's grouping. The findings were as follows ; 1. The mean age of the nurses was 28.9 years, and the mean duration of their clinical experience was 6.8 years. Majority of the nurses(83.9%) had no experience in taking care of the AIDS patients. 2. The contents nurse's need to learn were showed in order such as clinical manifestations, infection control, patient care, and the mode of transmission of HIV/AIDS. 3. Even though the nurses had quite low knowledge about HIV/AIDS(mean score was 12.2 from the total of 26), they are willing to take care of the AIDS patients (mean score was 39.5 from the total of 60), and the degree of following universal precaution was also not so bad (mean score was 40.8 from the total of 50). 4. Nurses who are over 35 years old and had informal education regarding HIV/AIDS better following universal precautions. Nurses who had over 12 years of clinical experiences have more willingness to perform nursing care to the AIDS patients. Nurses who had experiences in taking care of the AIDS patients were more knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS. These findings suggest that some strategies should be develope to increase the willingness to perform the nursing care to the AIDS patients. And also continuing education program should be develope and run for the clinical nurses so that they can provide effective and appropriate nursing care to the AIDS patients.
Adult ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education* ; Education, Continuing ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Learning ; Nursing Care ; Patient Care ; Universal Precautions

OBJECTIVETo realize the epidemiological and drug-resistance characteristics of dysentery during 1990 to 2003 in Beijing.

METHODSThe group's characteristics of dysentery were described and analysed by using descriptive study method. Drug sensitivity tests were performed with Kirby-Bauer method recommended by WHO, and data were analyzed with SPSS statistic software.

RESULTSAverage incidence rate was 222.24 /100 000 and incidence rate was high in children and in urban areas. The period of high incidence was found in July 16 to August 3. The equation of index-curve forecast model was gained as Y = e (5.816-0.5845x. It showed some value in predicting the tendency of dysentery. Shigella was sensitive to quinolones and cephalosporins, and there was no significant differences between the middle and high grade in these two kinds of antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONIt should be taken as a measurement for the period of high incidence of dysentery.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Incidence ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Universal Precautions

OBJECTIVETo investigate the sanitary working status in the districts for locating residents after earthquake in Dujiangyan municipality.

METHODSSome immediate measures were taken after the earthquake including water source surveillance, restoring immunization system and epidemic surveillance. A questionnaire survey was also conducted to collect information in 107 locating districts of 18 towns.

RESULTSGenerally, the sanitary working status was good. Temporary sheds in most districts were Tents (75.70%, 81/107) and simple sheds (19.63%, 21/107), and 69.16% (74/107) districts could use water supply and 94.39% (101/107) arrange specialized persons to disinfect the environment and kill pests. The fly density was 2 per eye-view. The proportions for the correct responds to health knowledge, action adopted and attitude of residents were all above 90%. According to the epidemic surveillance system and mobile syndrome surveillance system in disaster area, there was no increasing trend for the incidences of contagious diseases.

CONCLUSION20 days after earthquake, the whole situation of disease prevention in disaster area is stable.

China ; Disasters ; Earthquakes ; Emergency Medical Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Health Care Surveys ; Humans ; Sanitation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universal Precautions

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify pediatric nurses' attitudes to, and compliance with, standard precautions in the prevention of hospital infections by enhancing their practice of standard precautions. METHODS: The participants were 206 nurses who worked in pediatric nursing departments of a general medical institution in Seoul. The questionnaire was a modification of Kim (2008) and consisted of 18 questions about hand washing, personal protective equipment, sharps, linen and patient care equipment. Collected data were processed using SPSS 15.0 WIN. RESULTS: Mean scores for attitudes to standard precautions and for compliance with standard precautions were 4.43 (+/-0.83) and 4.22 (+/-0.44) respectively. This difference was statistically significant (t=3.368, p=.001). The nurses' compliance with standard precautions differed significantly according to the general characteristics of age (F=8.705, p<.001), total clinical experience (F=9.426, p<.001), current department experience (F=6.555, p<.001), and education experience (t=0.616, p<.043). There was a positive correlation between attitudes to, and compliance with, standard precautions (r=.156, p=.025). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that educational programs and policy on infection control and standard precautions for pediatric nurses are needed. Also these results should contribute to baseline data for establishing appropriate clinical policy on infection control.
Bedding and Linens ; Compliance ; Cross Infection ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Patient Care ; Pediatric Nursing ; Universal Precautions ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires