Blood cultures are the primary method for diagnosing bloodstream infections. However, blood culture contamination (BCC) can lead to unnecessary antibiotic treatment, additional tests, and extended patient time in the hospital. The aim of this quality improvement project was to evaluate healthcare workers' knowledge of blood culture collection protocols and evaluate the blood culture contamination rates of laboratory and non-laboratory staff. We performed a retrospective review of contaminated cultures between May 2021 and April 2022, and anonymous surveys were distributed to assess staff knowledge of proper blood culture collection protocols. Laboratory staff (phlebotomy) had an overall BCC rate of 4.6% compared to a non-laboratory staff (nurses, residents, and medical students) rate of 9.7% ( < 0.0001). On the survey, phlebotomists had the best score (89% correct), followed by nurses (76%) and residents and medical students (64%). These data suggest that blood culture protocol knowledge and BCC rates may be related, with phlebotomists scoring highest on the knowledge survey and demonstrating the lowest contamination rates.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17571774241232064 | DOI Listing |
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease damaging the central nervous system. Diminished inflammatory disease activity (DA) as people with MS (pwMS) age motivated randomized clinical trials assessing disease-modifying therapy (DMT) discontinuation in older pwMS given the concern for risks outweighing benefits. This study aims to examine whether peripheral production of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP)-driven cytokine responses mediate the aging-associated decline in MS inflammatory DA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Esp Urol
December 2024
Infectious Disease Department, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, 266000 Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Purpose: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in neonates pose notable challenges in diagnosis and management because of non-specific clinical manifestations and unique physiological characteristics. Understanding the clinical features and pathogen characteristics of UTIs in this population is crucial for tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to investigate varying clinical features and pathogen characteristics of UTIs, thereby offering a holistic perspective on the multifaceted aspects of UTIs in neonates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Pediatr
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Background: Pediatric CNS infections have been identified as a global health problem, associated with an increased death rate and fatal consequences. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase mediator that increases in body fluids and plasma throughout inflammation. Our study was designed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PTX3 levels in pediatric patients with different central nervous system (CNS) infections.
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January 2025
Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brasil. Electronic address:
Introduction: Overweight and obesity are chronic and multifactorial diseases with a strong genetic component contributing to weight gain across all age groups. This study aimed to conduct a Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) on a cohort of 1,004 Brazilian children (5-11 years old) to identify specific DNA regions associated with susceptibility to overweight.
Methods: The GWAS was performed on children participating in the SCAALA (Asthma and Allergy Social Changes in Latin America) program, with participants classified as either overweight or non-overweight.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
January 2025
Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali.
Plasmodium malariae is the third most prevalent human malaria parasite species and contributes significantly to morbidity. Nevertheless, our comprehension of this parasite's biology remains limited, primarily due to its frequent co-infections with other species and the lack of a continuous in vitro culture system. To effectively combat and eliminate this overlooked parasite, it is imperative to acquire a better understanding of this species.
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