Air Contamination in Different Departments of a Tertiary Hospital. Assessment of Microbial Load and of Antimicrobial Susceptibility.

Air contamination in the hospital setting can be a reason for the spread of nosocomial infection among susceptible patients. The aim of this study was to identify bacterial species, and their load and drug resistance, in the air of a tertiary hospital. Air samples were collected on a monthly basis for 12 consecutive months in four different departments of the hospital (Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Internal Medicine Ward (IMW), Surgical Ward (SW), and Neonatal Unit (NU)).

Socio-demographic Factors Affecting Initiation and Duration of Breastfeeding in a Culturally Diverse Area of North Eastern Greece.

Background: Breastfeeding is not only important for the bond between the mother and the child but is also associated with many health benefits. Socio-demographic factors have been found to be important for the initiation and longer duration of breastfeeding.

Aim: To record the breastfeeding characteristics and to explore possible associations with socio-cultural and demographic factors in a culturally diverse area in Greece.

Monitoring of Frequency and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Pathogens on the Hands of Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Hospital.

Objective: To monitor microbes, focusing on drug resistance, on the hands of the personnel of four departments of a tertiary hospital (ICU, neonatal unit, internal medicine ward and surgical ward) and explore differences between departments, professions and genders.

Materials And Methods: Hand sampling from 125 healthcare employees was conducted followed by isolation, identification and antibiotic resistance profiling of different microbial species.

Results: Staphylococcus spp was the most prevalent microbe (76/125, 60.

Caries prevalence and manganese and iron levels of drinking water in school children living in a rural/semi-urban region of North-Eastern Greece.

Objective: The aim of this study was to correlate different combinations of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) concentration in drinking water with prevalence of dental caries in both primary and permanent dentition, among school children with similar socio-demographic characteristics.

Methods: Evros region, in North-Eastern Greece, was divided into four areas, according to combinations of levels of Mn and Fe in drinking water (High Mn-high Fe; High Mn-low Fe; Low Mn-high Fe; Low Mn-low Fe). Children of similar socio-economic background, attending either first or sixth grade (primary or permanent dentition, respectively) of elementary schools, were clinically assessed for caries by three dentists.