International journal of hygiene and environmental health
-
Int J Hyg Environ Health · Mar 2009
Colonization of patients and contamination of the patients' environment by MRSA under conditions of single-room isolation.
Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are endemic in hospitals worldwide and present a major concern in hospital hygiene. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between patients' MRSA colonization of the body and the frequency of environmental contamination. Twenty-five MRSA-positive hospitalized surgical patients and their environment in isolation rooms were screened on four occasions over a 14-day period. ⋯ MRSA colonization of the groin area correlates most strongly with colonization of the body and environment. Seventy-five of 240 (31%) samples taken in rooms of patients with colonization of the groin were MRSA-positive, whereas only 27 of 760 (3.6%) samples taken in rooms of patients without colonization of the groin produced positive results (odds ratio 12.3; 95% confidence interval, 7.7-20). It is concluded that MRSA patients without colonization of the groin have a relatively low risk of environmental spread of MRSA and thus a reduced risk of transmission.
-
Int J Hyg Environ Health · Jan 2009
Impact of public health interventions in controlling the spread of SARS: modelling of intervention scenarios.
A variety of intervention measures exist to prevent and control diseases with pandemic potential like SARS or pandemic influenza. They differ in their approach and effectiveness in reducing the number of cases getting infected. The effects of different intervention measures were investigated by a mathematical modelling approach, with comparisons based on the effective reproduction number (R(e)). ⋯ The study emphasizes the importance of early identification and isolation of SARS cases to reduce the number of people getting infected. However, doing so transfers cases to health care facilities, making infection control measures in hospitals essential to avoid nosocomial spread. The modelling approach applied in this study is useful for analysing interactions of different intervention measures for reducing the R(e) of SARS.
-
Int J Hyg Environ Health · Jan 2009
Genotoxic effects of anaesthetics in operating theatre personnel evaluated by the comet assay and micronucleus test.
Genetic damage induced by anaesthetic gases in occupationally exposed populations was investigated using the comet assay and micronucleus test. The study included two groups of subjects: 50 operating theatre medical workers (anaesthesiologists, technicians and nurses) and 50 control subjects corresponding in sex, age and smoking habit. The exposed group revealed an increase in genome damage in both tests. ⋯ Micronucleus frequency increased significantly, showing threefold increase in exposed groups (RR>3.029). Univariate analysis showed significant influence of duration of exposure, while multivariate analysis showed age to be significant predictor of micronucleus frequency. The obtained results call for further, targeted investigation of exposure risk.
-
Int J Hyg Environ Health · Oct 2007
Paediatric environmental health speciality units in Europe: integrating a missing element into medical care.
Paediatricians are in an excellent position to identify children with environmental risk, to advise their parents about the best way of reducing or preventing such risks, and to recommend actions to the responsible politicians involved. Paediatric environmental health speciality units (PEHSU) can help to qualify and support paediatricians in this task. PEHSU is defined as a unit within a paediatric hospital or clinic that is able to recognize, assess, and prevent environment-related health risks, to help other paediatric specialists in the management of such diseases in children, as well as to provide education, training, and research, putting emphasis on thorough and adequate establishment of paediatric environmental histories (PEHis) and to the application of the precautionary principle. Although activities and services provided by each PEHSU would differ depending on the centre or community where it is located, all should include training, research, medical care and community and school health.
-
Int J Hyg Environ Health · Oct 2007
Influence of industrial sources on children's health--hot spot studies in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
The aim of this study was to evaluate exposure and health outcome of children living close to industrial sources. Exposure and health outcome was assessed in nearly 1000 children at school beginner age living in the vicinity of industrial sources of three different hot spots (Duisburg North, Duisburg South and Dortmund Hörde) and in a rural area of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), Germany. The cross-sectional study was undertaken between March and May 2000. ⋯ The only positive associations between external and internal exposure were found between benzo[a]pyrene in ambient air and 1-hydroxypyrene in urine, and between lead in ambient air and in the blood of the children. It is concluded that despite improvements of the general air quality during the last decades, living in the vicinity of industrial sources results to some extent in increased internal contaminant exposure and in effects on health outcome. Still ongoing studies are aimed to find out whether the increased PAH and DNA exposure of children from Duisburg North had decreased after the coke oven plant had been shut down in 2003, and if the striking results on the high prevalence of allergic sensitization can be confirmed by introducing an expanded cross-sectional study at four hot spots with increased chromium and nickel ambient air levels.