Lessons from the field: Supporting infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship in Amman, Jordan.

Background: To reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR), appropriate antimicrobial prescribing is critical. In conjunction with Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) programs, Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) have been shown to improve prescribing practices and patient outcomes. Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) face challenges related to inadequate ASP policies and guidelines at both the national and healthcare facility (HCF) levels.

Mapping of infection prevention and control education and training in some countries of the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Region: current situation and future needs.

Background: A strong understanding of infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures and comprehensive training among healthcare workers is essential for effective IPC programs. These elements play a crucial role in breaking the chain of nosocomial infections by preventing the transmission of resistant organisms to patients and staff members. This study mapped the components of IPC education and training across various member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) at national, academic, and healthcare institutional levels.

Smartphone-based point-of-care testing of the SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus's worldwide pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for reliable, quick, and affordable diagnostic tests for comprehending and controlling the epidemic by tracking the world population. Given how crucial it is to monitor and manage the pandemic, researchers have recently concentrated on creating quick detection techniques. Although PCR is still the preferred clinical diagnostic test, there is a pressing need for substitutes that are sufficiently rapid and cost-effective to provide a diagnosis at the time of use.

Response of varied rice genotypes on cell membrane stability, defense system, physio-morphological traits and yield under transplanting and aerobic cultivation.

Aerobic rice cultivation progresses water productivity, and it can save almost 50% of irrigation water compared to lowland rice with the appropriate development of genotypes and management practices. Two field trials were conducted during 2020, and 2021 seasons to determine the validation of different rice varieties under aerobic cultivation based on their plant defense system, physio-morphological traits, stress indices, grain yield, and water productivity. The experiments were designed in a split-plot design with four replications.

Google Trends as a predictive tool in the era of COVID-19: a scoping review.

Google Trends has been extensively used in different sectors from finance to tourism, the economy, fashion, the fun industry, the oil trade, and healthcare. This scoping review aims to summarize the role of Google Trends as a monitoring and a predicting tool in the COVID-19 pandemic. Inclusion criteria for this scoping review were original English-language peer-reviewed research articles on the COVID-19 pandemic conducted in 2020 using Google Trends as a search tool.

Pulmonary Functions and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Among Silica-Exposed Foundry Workers.

Objective: To investigate the changes of the ventilatory function tests and the oxidative stress biomarkers among silica-exposed foundry workers.

Methods: The exposed group included 70 workers in an iron foundry. The nonexposed group included 40 subjects from Kasralainy outpatient clinic.

Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System on the African continent: Early implementation 2017-2019.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming a critical public health issue globally. The World Health Organization launched the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) to support the strengthening of the AMR evidence base.

Objective: The article describes the evolution of national AMR surveillance systems and AMR data reporting of countries in the African continent between 2017 and 2019, and the constraints, perceived impact and value of the participation in GLASS.

Infection prevention and control risk factors in health workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Jordan: A case control study.

Background: Despite under-reporting, health workers (HWs) accounted for 2 to 30% of the reported COVID-19 cases worldwide. In line with data from other countries, Jordan recorded multiple case surges among HWs.

Methods: Based on the standardized WHO UNITY case-control study protocol on assessing risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in HWs, HWs with confirmed COVID-19 were recruited as cases from eight hospitals in Jordan.

Pretransplant donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies despite a negative complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity crossmatch: Is it wise to desensitize before kidney transplant?

The significance of pretransplant donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) despite negative complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity crossmatch (CDC-XM) would be useful for clinical decision-making. Hence, we aimed to determine the impact of pretransplant DSA despite negative crossmatch on the outcome of kidney transplantation. One hundred and eleven kidney recipients were prospectively enrolled in this study after being transplanted at Hamed Al-Essa Organ Transplant Center of Kuwait between January 2011 and December 2013.

Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region, 2017-2019.

To better guide the regional response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we report the burden of AMR over time in countries in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region. To assess the capacities of national infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship programs, we analyzed data on bloodstream infections reported to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System during 2017-2019, data from 7 countries on nationally representative surveys of antimicrobial prescriptions, and data from 2 regional surveys. The median proportion of bloodstream infections was highest for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp.

Influence of Nano Silicon and Nano Selenium on Root Characters, Growth, Ion Selectivity, Yield, and Yield Components of Rice ( L.) under Salinity Conditions.

Rice production under salinity stress is a critical challenge facing many countries, particularly those in arid and semi-arid regions. This challenge could be handled by applying novel approaches to overcome yield limiting factors and improve resource use efficiency. The usage of nanoparticles (NPs) could be a beneficial approach to managing the growing problem of soil salinity.

Implementation of the infection prevention and control core components at the national level: a global situational analysis.

Background: Strengthening infection prevention and control (IPC) is essential to combat healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and to prevent and respond to outbreaks.

Aim: To assess national IPC programmes worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO) IPC core components.

Methods: Between June 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018, a multi-country, cross-sectional study was conducted, based on semi-structured interviews with national IPC focal points of countries that pledged to the WHO 'Clean Care is Safer Care' challenge.

Effect of live oud music on physiological and psychological parameters in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Music therapy has emerged as a promising evidence-based adjuvant method of intervention. This study aims to assess the effect of live oud music on physiological and psychological parameters in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, pre- and post-operatively. Twelve patients undergoing cardiac operations were randomly allocated into either intervention group or control group, six patients in each group.

Implementation strategies to reduce surgical site infections: A systematic review.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) portend high patient morbidity and mortality. Although evidence-based clinical interventions can reduce SSIs, they are not reliably delivered in practice, and data are limited on the best approach to improve adherence.

Objective: To summarize implementation strategies aimed at improving adherence to evidence-based interventions that reduce SSIs.

Assessment of safe injection practices in health facilities in Oman.

Background: Unsafe injection practices put patients and providers at risk of infectious and noninfectious adverse events. A 2001 Ministry of Health survey on injection practices in Oman indicated that, while overall standards were good, in some areas there was a need for improvement.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate injection safety practices to determine whether facilities meet the requirements for practices, equipment, supplies and waste disposal, and to identify unsafe practices.

Right Ventricular Function After Creation of an Atriovenous Fistula in Patients With End Stage Renal Disease.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with increased risk of heart failure and mortality in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Accumulating evidence suggests an association between atriovenous fistula (AVF) and RV dysfunction; however, there is no adequate data on the relation between AVF characteristics and risk of RV dysfunction after AVF creation.

Methods: The study included 30 ESRD patients (median age: 44years, 17 male) who had their first autogenous mature AVF.

Correction to: Antimicrobial-coated sutures to decrease surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In the original version of this article, reference citations found in Tables 2, 3, and 4 contain errors in linking. The correct tables are reproduced below.

Spectrum of kidney diseases in patients presented for acute hemodialysis in Kasr Al-Aini School of Medicine.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalized patients with mortality varying from 10% to 80%. It is crucial to know the incidence and etiology of AKI to promote prevention strategies. Our study aimed at obtaining a comprehensive review of the pattern and spectrum of patients who presented for emergency hemodialysis to Kasr Al-Aini Hospital between October 2012 and October 2014.

Assessment of hepatic fibrosis by fibroscan in egyptian chronic hemodialysis patients with chronic Hepatitis C (genotype 4): A single-center study.

Assessing hepatic fibrosis in hemodialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) can help to evaluate the long-term prognosis, complications of hepatitis C virus (HCV) as well as eligibility for renal transplantation,. Our aim was to assess liver fibrosis in Egyptian hemodialysis (HD) patients infected with CHC genotype 4 using a fibroscan. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted over two years on a cohort of 134 Egyptian patients on prevalent HD at Kasr Al Ainy Hospital.

New WHO recommendations on intraoperative and postoperative measures for surgical site infection prevention: an evidence-based global perspective.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common health-care-associated infections in developing countries, but they also represent a substantial epidemiological burden in high-income countries. The prevention of these infections is complex and requires the integration of a range of preventive measures before, during, and after surgery. No international guidelines are available and inconsistencies in the interpretation of evidence and recommendations in national guidelines have been identified.

New WHO recommendations on preoperative measures for surgical site infection prevention: an evidence-based global perspective.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most preventable health-care-associated infections and are a substantial burden to health-care systems and service payers worldwide in terms of patient morbidity, mortality, and additional costs. SSI prevention is complex and requires the integration of a range of measures before, during, and after surgery. No international guidelines are available and inconsistencies in the interpretation of evidence and recommendations of national guidelines have been identified.

Antimicrobial-coated sutures to decrease surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To investigate the effectiveness of antimicrobial-coated sutures compared with non-coated sutures in reducing surgical site infection (SSI) and develop recommendations for World Health Organization (WHO) SSI prevention guidelines. We searched Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and WHO Global Health from 1990-16/02/2015 with language restricted to English, Spanish, and French. Meta-analysis was performed with a random-effects model.

Overview of preparedness and response for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Oman.

Several countries in the Middle East and around 22 countries worldwide have reported cases of human infection with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The exceptionally high fatality rate resulting from MERS-CoV infection in conjunction with the paucity of knowledge about this emerging virus has led to major public and international concern. Within the framework of the national acute respiratory illness surveillance, the Ministry of Health in the Sultanate of Oman has announced two confirmed cases of MERS-CoV to date.