A COVID-19 Superspreading Event Involving Two Variants during Sociotherapy Activities in French Mental Health Centre

A COVID-19 superspreading event during sociotherapy activities highlighted the risk of a choir for transmission in mental health centres and the community, and the need for close control of such activities. The simultaneous identification of delta and beta variants of SARS-CoV-2 illustrated their different spreading abilities.

[Risk of lethality due to nosocomial infections in a tertiary-level hospital]

BACKGROUND

Infections associated with health care, previously known as nosocomial infections, constitute one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in hospital. The aim of this study is to estimate the lethality of HAI, as well as the risk of dying from HAI versus mortality by other causes.

METHODS

We analyzed the historical cohort of IAAS of the Epidemiology service of a tertiary-level hospital, from 2012 to 2017. The incidence analysis and the probability of death of IAAS were made against other causes, as well as the analysis of age, period-cohort of lethality of IAAS.

RESULTS

The incidence of IAAS ranged from 27.9 to 31.5 IAAS/1000 person-days between 2012 and 2017, the probability of having an IAAS in ICU is 3.51 (CI95%: 2.93-4.20), p < 0.01, NAVM lethality against any other causes of death had a relative risk (RR) of 6.06 (CI95%: 2.91-12.6) in 2016, RR was 4.01 (CI95%: 1.59-10.09) in ITUAC in 2015, no effect of age, cohort or period in the case of IAAS was identified.

CONCLUSIONS

IAAS remain to be an important public health problem in our country, without excluding our medical unit, it is important to redirect efforts to reduce them in the medium term.

Sterilization effect of atmospheric pressure non-thermal air plasma on dental instruments

PURPOSE

Autoclaves and UV sterilizers have been commonly used to prevent cross-infections between dental patients and dental instruments or materials contaminated by saliva and blood. To develop a dental sterilizer which can sterilize most materials, such as metals, rubbers, and plastics, the sterilization effect of an atmospheric pressure non-thermal air plasma device was evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After inoculating E. coli and B. subtilis the diamond burs and polyvinyl siloxane materials were sterilized by exposing them to the plasma for different lengths of time (30, 60, 90, 120, 180 and, 240 seconds). The diamond burs and polyvinyl siloxane materials were immersed in PBS solutions, cultured on agar plates and quantified by counting the colony forming units. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and significance was assessed by the LSD post hoc test (α=0.05).

RESULTS

The device was effective in killing E. coli contained in the plasma device compared with the UV sterilizer. The atmospheric pressure non-thermal air plasma device contributed greatly to the sterilization of diamond burs and polyvinyl siloxane materials inoculated with E. coli and B. subtilis. Diamond burs and polyvinyl siloxane materials inoculated with E. coli was effective after 60 and 90 seconds. The diamond burs and polyvinyl siloxane materials inoculated with B. subtilis was effective after 120 and 180 seconds.

CONCLUSION

The atmospheric pressure non-thermal air plasma device was effective in killing both E. coli and B. subtilis, and was more effective in killing E. coli than the UV sterilizer.

The incidence of cross infections in Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Cross Infections (CIs) are considered as a major public health problem worldwide. They cause delay in recovery, increased mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this study is to report the incidence of CIs in our teaching hospital during a 23-month period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 76766 patients from 2009 to 2011 admitted to 17 wards of Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad were studied for CIs. Patients' age, sex, site of infection, ward of hospitalization and type of microbial infections were collected and analyzed by SPSS 16.0.

CONCLUSION

Results of the present study showed that the incidence of CIs was low (i.e.<1%) in our hospital and Acinetobacter (25.8%, n = 176) was the most frequent pathogen.