Evaluation of hand hygiene: Is university medical education effective in prevention of hospital-acquired infections?

Objective: Hand hygiene (HH) compliance is associated with effective prevention of health care-associated infections (HAI), the topic being very important due to current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a growing debate about the role of educational institutions in the low HH compliance of health workers. This study aimed to assess HH knowledge, self-assessment and attitudes of medical students in relation to provided educational background.

The Effect of Modified Porcine Surfactant Alone or in Combination with Polymyxin B on Lung Homeostasis in LPS-Challenged and Mechanically Ventilated Adult Rats.

The study aimed to prove the hypothesis that exogenous surfactant and an antibiotic polymyxin B (PxB) can more effectively reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) than surfactant treatment alone, and to evaluate the effect of this treatment on the gene expression of surfactant proteins (SPs). Anesthetized rats were intratracheally instilled with different doses of LPS to induce ALI. Animals with LPS 500 μg/kg have been treated with exogenous surfactant (poractant alfa, Curosurf, 50 mg PL/kg b.

Satisfaction of Slovak women with psychosocial aspects of care during childbirth.

Objective: The objective of the study is to find out and assess satisfaction of Slovak women with psychosocial aspects of perinatal care.

Design And Setting: The research was designed as a quantitative cross-sectional study. The research data were collected in five pediatric outpatient clinics in Slovakia.

Recombinant Human Superoxide Dismutase and -Acetylcysteine Addition to Exogenous Surfactant in the Treatment of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome.

This study aimed to evaluate the molecular background of -acetylcysteine (NAC) and recombinant human superoxide dismutase (rhSOD) antioxidant action when combined with exogenous surfactant in the treatment of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), considering redox signalling a principal part of cell response to meconium. Young New Zealand rabbits were instilled with meconium suspension (Mec) and treated by surfactant alone (Surf) or surfactant in combination with i.v.

Modified porcine surfactant enriched by recombinant human superoxide dismutase for experimental meconium aspiration syndrome.

Aims: Combination of exogenous surfactant with antioxidant enzyme recombinant human superoxide dismutase (rhSOD) was tested in the treatment of experimental meconium aspiration syndrome as oxidative processes play key role in its pathogenesis.

Material And Methods: Young New Zealand rabbits were instilled by saline (Sal group) or by meconium suspension (Mec group). Some of meconium-instilled animals were treated by surfactant alone (Surf group) or surfactant in combination with rhSOD (Surf + SOD group) and oxygen-ventilated for 5 h.

Anti-IL-8 antibody potentiates the effect of exogenous surfactant in respiratory failure caused by meconium aspiration.

Aim: Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is life-threatening respiratory failure of newborns which can be treated by exogenous surfactant. In response to meconium, increased levels of chemokine IL-8 (CXCL8) stimulate massive neutrophil infiltration of the lungs. Local accumulation and activation of neutrophils, on-going inflammation, lung edema, and oxidative damage contribute to inactivation of endogenous and therapeutically given surfactants.

Meconium-induced inflammation and surfactant inactivation: specifics of molecular mechanisms.

This review summarizes neonatal meconium aspiration syndrome in light of meconium-induced inflammation and inflammatory surfactant inactivation, related to both endogenous and therapeutic exogenous surfactant. The wide effect of meconium on surfactant properties is divided into three points. Direct effect of meconium on surfactant properties refers mainly to fragmentation of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and other surfactant phospholipids together with cleavage of surfactant proteins.

L-NAME in the cardiovascular system - nitric oxide synthase activator?

L-arginine analogues are widely used inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity both in vitro and in vivo, with N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) being at the head. On the one hand, acute and chronic L-NAME treatment leads to changes in blood pressure and vascular reactivity due to decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. However, lower doses of L-NAME may also activate NO production via feedback regulatory mechanisms if administered for longer time.

Biochemical aspects of nitric oxide synthase feedback regulation by nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small gas molecule derived from at least three isoforms of the enzyme termed nitric oxide synthase (NOS). More than 15 years ago, the question of feedback regulation of NOS activity and expression by its own product was raised. Since then, a number of trials have verified the existence of negative feedback loop both in vitro and in vivo.

Endothelial dysfunction in spontaneously hypertensive rats: focus on methodological aspects.

Despite the apparent consensus on the existence of endothelial dysfunction in conduit and resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a commonly employed experimental model of hypertension, there are a number of reports showing that endothelium-dependent vasodilatory responses are similar, or even increased, in SHR compared with their normotensive counterparts. The present paper aims to discuss the rationale for these apparent discrepancies, including the effect of age, type of artery and methodological aspects. Data from the literature indicate that the age of the animal is a contributing factor and that endothelial dysfunction is likely to be a consequence of hypertension.

Chronic low-dose L-NAME treatment effect on cardiovascular system of borderline hypertensive rats: feedback regulation?

Objectives: The effect of 8-week-lasting low-dose treatment of NG-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, was investigated in borderline hypertensive rats (BHR) to examine, whether dose of 1.5 mg/kg/day affects feedback regulation of NO synthesis.

Methods: Blood pressure (BP) of 12 weeks old Wistar and BHR rats was determined non-invasively by tail-cuff.