The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association最新文献

{"title":"Microbiological quality of some packed and unpacked bread products in Alexandria, Egypt.","authors":"Manal A Ali, Mona H Hashish, Marwa M Fekry","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00141-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-023-00141-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Bakery products are important food snacks consumed by people of all ages and economic groups. The growth of unwanted microorganisms that deteriorate products such as bacteria, moulds, and fungi in these foodstuffs may offer risks to consumers' health and generate considerable economic losses. This work aimed to assess the microbiological quality of some packed and unpacked bread products in Alexandria, Egypt.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional comparative study involved 168 local and branded bakery products that were collected randomly from 2 districts in Alexandria. Hygienic practices such as covering of the bread and wearing gloves during handling were observed and recorded. All bread samples were tested to determine the total plate count (TPC), presence/absence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), total yeasts and moulds in CFU/g and total coliform count (TC) in MPN/g.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean of the total yeasts and moulds and TC in the packed bread was lower than that of the unpacked bread (3.40 × 10³ CFU/g and 3.25 MPN/g versus 6.37 × 10³ CFU/g and 31.61 MPN/g, respectively). However, the mean of TPC in the packed bread was higher than that of the unpacked bread (1.39 × 10⁶ versus 2.07 × 10⁵ CFU/g, respectively). The mean TPC, total yeasts and moulds and TC was higher in the studied flatbread than Fino bread and toast (3.4 × 10⁶, 1.14 × 10⁴ CFU/g and 24.6 MPN/g, respectively). The presence of S. aureus was higher in flat, unpacked bread, bread displayed outside the shop and handled without gloves.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Bread produced by local bakeries showed lower standards in packaging and microbial quality. Better manufacturing, packaging, storage, and handling initiatives should be introduced to avoid related food safety concerns in the future. The formal authorities should define and clarify standards and rules on bread safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10427564/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10019859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of a waste management intervention program on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of nurses and housekeepers: a quasi-experimental study, Egypt.","authors":"Eman Khashaba, Abdel Hady El-Gilany, Khadija Denewar","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00140-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-023-00140-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Improper healthcare waste management practice is alarming in developing countries because resources are inadequate and waste management is often delegated to poorly educated and untrained laborers. This study aimed to compare the pre-KAP versus post-KAP towards the waste management program for nurses and housekeepers. In addition, it aimed to explore possible factors affecting the pre- and post-KAP in Mansoura Emergency University Hospital, Egypt.</p><p><strong>Subjects and methods: </strong>One hundred thirty-three newly employed nurses, housekeepers, and those who need refreshment training as nominated by head nurses and link occupational health and safety nurses in the hospital were recruited for the study. The study's intervention included multiple training sessions using a PowerPoint presentation in Arabic with appropriate illustrations followed by an open discussion. An Arabic self-administered questionnaire containing demographic and occupational history, knowledge (27 questions), attitude (10 questions), and practice (9 questions) was used pre- and post-intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall KAP scores among the studied healthcare workers were significantly higher after the intervention. The pre- and post-knowledge scores were significantly different with respect to education, job description, and duration of employment (p < 0.05). The post-attitude scores were significantly different with respect to education and job description only (p < 0.05). The total pre-practice scores were significantly different with respect to education and job description (p < 0.05). However, the post-practice scores were significantly different with respect to sex, age, education, and job description (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There was a significant improvement in the KAP scores post-intervention. The post-knowledge and attitude scores were significantly better in nurses and participants with a higher education. The post-practice score was significantly better for females, participants with an age ≥ 30 years, higher education, and nursing jobs. The combination of training and supervision was crucial for the success of waste management programs. Higher education levels are required for housekeepers to be capable of gaining better knowledge, follow rules, and be ready for any challenges in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10400736/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9946040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The prevalence of seat belt use among drivers and passengers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Shiva Kargar, Alireza Ansari-Moghaddam, Hossein Ansari","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00139-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-023-00139-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Seat belts might save people's lives in car accidents by preventing severe collision damage and keeping passengers safe from critical injuries. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the prevalence of seat belt use among drivers and passengers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The databases of PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), and Google Scholar were searched from the beginning of 2000 to late December 2020 to identify studies that investigated the prevalence of seat belt use among drivers and passengers. The pooled prevalence was calculated using a random-effects model. The STATA-v14 software was used to perform data analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sixty-eight studies that met the inclusion criteria and were suitable for this meta-analysis were identified. The pooled prevalence of seat belt use was 43.94% (95% CI: 42.23-45.73) among drivers, 38.47% (95% CI: 34.89-42.42) among front-seat passengers, and 15.32% (95% CI: 12.33-19.03) among rear-seat passengers. The lowest seat belt use among drivers and passengers was observed in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, while the highest use was reported in Europe and America. Moreover, the prevalence of seat belt use was higher among women drivers [51.47% (95% CI: 48.62-54.48)] than men drivers [38.27% (95% CI: 34.98-41.87)] (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the highest prevalence of seat belt use was seen among drivers (68.9%) and front-seat passengers (50.5%) of sports utility vehicles (SUVs); in contrast, the lowest prevalence was observed among drivers and passengers of public vehicles such as buses, minibuses, and taxis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In general, the prevalence of seat belt use was not high among drivers and was even lower among passengers. Moreover, drivers and passengers in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa had the lowest prevalence of seat belt usage. Additionally, drivers and passengers of public transportation (buses, minibuses, and taxis) had a lower rate of seat belt use, especially among men. Therefore, effective interventional programs to improve seat belt use should be designed and implemented, particularly among these at-risk populations in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10393920/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9934822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in Egypt: a systematic review with meta-analysis.","authors":"Ahmed Azzam,&nbsp;Heba Khaled,&nbsp;Esraa S El-Kayal,&nbsp;Fathy A Gad,&nbsp;Sarah Omar","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00138-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00138-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) is a major public health problem. The clinical importance of OBI stems from the fact that it can be transmitted to healthy individuals at extremely low viral load levels. Additionally, immunosuppression has the potential to trigger viral replication, which can result in life-threatening liver decompensation. Despite several studies examining the prevalence of OBI, the pooled prevalence of OBI in Egypt remains unknown, particularly among blood donors and high-risk individuals, to whom intervention should be targeted.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search of the following databases was conducted from inception to October 2022 using the following keywords: occult hepatitis B virus infection or occult HBV infection or OBI and Egypt in MEDLINE [PubMed], Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. I-squared and Cochran's Q were used to measure the heterogeneity between the studies, and based on the random effects model, results were reported as proportions (%) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Analyses of subgroup analyses were conducted based on the target population. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using the leave-one-out approach to test the robustness of the results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 50 studies with 62 estimations of OBI were included, 19 in patients who were HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-positive and 43 in patients who were HBsAg-negative. The highest prevalence (41%) was among multi-transfused patients according to  studies that report occult hepatitis B virus prevalence in an HBsAg-negative population, while the pooled prevalence of OBI among patients on hemodialysis, patients with chronic hepatitis C infection, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and patients with liver cirrhosis was 17%, 10%, 24%, and 13%, respectively. On the other hand, among studies that report OBI prevalence in HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-positive individuals, the pooled prevalence of OBI among blood donors, patients with chronic hepatitis C infection, and patients with HCC was 12%, 15%, and 31%, respectively. Also, the majority of studies examining the genetic background of OBI have found that genotype D is the most prevalent.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> This study highlights the high prevalence in OBI among blood donors and high-risk populations in Egypt. The implementation of HBV nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) may increase the safety of blood transfusions by excluding all HBV DNA-positive donations. However, the cost-effectiveness of these tests should be investigated.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10368600/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9879151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Consolidating food safety measures against COVID-19: a review.","authors":"Assem Abolmaaty,&nbsp;Dina H Amin,&nbsp;Reham M M Abd El-Kader,&nbsp;Alaa F ELsayed,&nbsp;Basma S M Soliman,&nbsp;Amr S Elbahnasawy,&nbsp;Mahmoud Sitohy","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00137-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00137-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10326218/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9860358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and correlates of occupational noise-induced hearing loss among workers in the steel industry.","authors":"Noha Elshaer, Dorria Meleis, Abdelrahman Mohamed","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00135-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-023-00135-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The steel industry is one of the noisiest industries, which can predispose workers to hearing loss. In Egypt, the demand for steel is increasing due to the construction of new infrastructures as bridges, flyover roads, buildings, and towers; however, little is known about the prevalence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among steel workers. Understanding the distribution of the affected workers is crucial for planning prevention strategies. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of occupational NIHL among Egyptian steel workers and identify its correlates.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was conducted at two steel factories in Egypt in November 2021. It involved an initial retrospective review of the factory medical records of the latest periodic medical examination conducted on workers from July to September in the year 2021 representing workers' health status in that year. Then, a case-control approach analysis was carried out. Eligible workers (n = 606) were enrolled and divided into two groups: noise-exposed workers (n = 396) and unexposed workers (n = 210). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Occupational exposure to hazardous A-weighted equivalent noise level (> 85 dB) was associated with higher hearing thresholds at all frequencies (highest at 4 kHz followed by 6 kHz), particularly in younger workers below the age of 40 years. Nearly 71% of noise-exposed workers had hearing impairment, and 47% had NIHL compared with unexposed workers (45.7% and 11.9%, respectively). The probability of NIHL in noise-exposed workers was 6.55 times higher than that in unexposed workers (OR = 6.55, 95%CI = 4.13, 10.40; p < 0.001). In noise-exposed workers, age and tinnitus were independent predictors of hearing thresholds, while tinnitus was found to be an independent predictor of NIHL after adjusting for age and job duration (OR = 2.06, 95%CI = 1.01, 4.20; p = 0.045).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Almost half of noise-exposed workers had NIHL. Tinnitus was found to be an independent predictor of NIHL. Decreasing noise exposure levels in steel plants is recommended to reduce hearing loss. Future research is required to study the effect of tinnitus on audiometry measurements among workers with NIHL.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10239744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9583536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patient safety culture among community pharmacists in Cairo.","authors":"Mahi Al-Tehewy,&nbsp;Samera Mohamed,&nbsp;Noura Ammar","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00136-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00136-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Measuring perception of patient safety culture among pharmacists working in community pharmacies is crucial to identify opportunities and areas that require improvement. The aim of this work is to measure patient safety culture among pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Cairo.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists working in community pharmacies in the center and south regions of Cairo. The Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture (PSOPSC), developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used to collect data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study included 210 community pharmacies with a 95% response rate. The mean age of pharmacists was 28 ± 5.4 years. The overall positive response percentage (PRP) ranged between 35 and 69% with a mean of 57.4%. The highest PRP was identified in the domains of \"teamwork\" (68.97%), \"organizational learning-continuous improvement\" (64.93%) and \"patient counseling\" (61.83%). The PRP was less than 60% in 6 out of the 11 composites. The lowest PRP was found in the domain of \"staffing, work pressure, and pace\", which scored 34.98%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study identified areas of patient safety culture that require improvement in community pharmacies, especially in allocating staff, appropriate working hours, and training community pharmacists on the importance and principles of patient safety. The overall mean PRP of patient safety culture among community pharmacists highlights the need to include patient safety as the strategic priority at the level of community pharmacies.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10185373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9484853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and determinants of antimicrobial resistance of pathogens isolated from cancer patients in an intensive care unit in Alexandria, Egypt.","authors":"Nancy Mohamed,&nbsp;Abeer Ghazal,&nbsp;Asmaa Abdel Hameed Ahmed,&nbsp;Adel Zaki","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00134-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00134-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are a globally increasing threat among critically ill patients, especially those with underlying malignancies. We aimed to assess the prevalence and susceptibility patterns of MDROs among cancer patients in intensive care units (ICU), and their predictors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Over 4 years, we retrospectively reviewed medical records of 497 malignancy patients in the ICU of a tertiary hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. The data for various factors, such as demographic characteristics, comorbidities, causative pathogen, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), were collected and analyzed using univariate analysis. Logistic multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the probability of developing MDROs among this population.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 748 isolates were obtained from 1249 specimens. Gram-negative bacteria detected (459) comprised 61.4% of all isolates, while only 75 (10%) were gram-positive, and 214 (28.6%) were fungal pathogens. The most frequently encountered isolate was Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 183), of which 107 were carbapenem-resistant (CR) and 62 were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing. This was followed by Escherichia coli (n = 136), of which 17 were CR and 100 were ESBL-producing strains, while 3 were resistant to quinolones. Acinetobacter baumannii came in third (n = 67), with 63 being CR. The overall susceptibility of gram-negative bacteria was recorded as highest to colistin (97.3%). The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcal species among gram-positive bacteria were 54.6% and 33.3%, respectively, with no resistance reported to vancomycin or linezolid. Among the MDRO infection predictors were neutropenia, recent antibiotics use, and receiving chemotherapy. Neutropenia had the highest odds ratio (OR: 2.3, CI: 1.28-4.09), followed by recent antibiotics use (OR: 1.8, CI: 1.22-2.59).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Gram-negative bacilli were the most frequently reported MDROs, with resistance to higher generation cephalosporins and even carbapenems limiting antibiotic treatment options to older class antibiotics, such as colistin, with potential side effects, including nephrotoxicity. Estimating AMR probability using the prediction model of risk factors, such as neutropenia and previous antibiotics use, may be functional in the rapid identification of higher-risk patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10149423/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9398483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in Egypt (2010-2022): a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Ahmed Azzam,&nbsp;Hoda Elkafas,&nbsp;Heba Khaled,&nbsp;Ahmed Ashraf,&nbsp;Mohammed Yousef,&nbsp;Aya Awny Elkashef","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00133-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00133-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) represent a critical medical and public health concerns due to their association with serious nosocomial infections and a high risk of mortality. We aimed to reveal the pooled prevalence of VRE and antimicrobial resistance profiles among enterococci clinical isolates in Egypt.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science literature search was carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Only published studies documenting the prevalence of VRE between 2010 and 2022 were included. Using the random effects model and the 95% confidence intervals, the pooled estimate of VRE was calculated by MedCalc Version 20.113. Cochran's Q and I² tests were used to evaluate the degree of heterogeneity, and publication bias was examined by visually examining the funnel plot and its associated tests (Begg's and Egger's tests).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The pooled prevalence of VRE among enterococci clinical isolates in Egypt was estimated to be 26% (95% CI 16.9 to 36.3). E. faecalis had a greater pooled prevalence than E. faecium, with 61.22% (95% CI 53.65 to 68.53) and 32.47% (95% CI 27 to 38.2), respectively. The VanA gene is more frequent than the VanB gene among VRE, with a pooled prevalence of 63.3% (95% CI 52.1 to 73.7) and 17.95% (95% CI 7.8 to 31), respectively. The pooled resistance rate of linezolid was substantially lower than that of ampicillin and high-level gentamicin (HLG) 5.54% (95% CI 2.33 to 10%), 65.7% (95% CI 50.8 to 79.2%), and 61.1% (95% CI 47.4 to 73.9), respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The prevalence of VRE is alarmingly high in Egypt. It is imperative that antimicrobial stewardship activities and infection control programs are strictly adhered to and implemented to prevent further escalation of the problem.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10086090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9289606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived benefits of cochlear implants by parents: expectations, decision-making process, and barriers to care.","authors":"Ateya Megahed Ibrahim,&nbsp;Abdel-Hady El-Gilany,&nbsp;Eman Wardany Abdelaal Mohamed,&nbsp;Nesrine Saad Farrag","doi":"10.1186/s42506-023-00132-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-023-00132-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Identifying predictive factors of the cochlear implant outcomes in pediatric patients is critical in guiding tailored rehabilitation programs. The study aimed to assess cochlear implant outcomes, identify predictors, and highlight decision-making factors and barriers to quality care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included parents of children who received unilateral cochlear implants for bilateral severe- to- deep sensorineural hearing loss. Inclusion criteria were age ≤ 5 years and intelligence quotient (IQ) Scores ≥ 85, A pre-designed structured questionnaire was used to collect data from parents/guardians of the children attending follow-up. The Arabic validated Glasgow Children Benefit Inventory score was used to assess the health-related quality of life (QOL) after intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The quality of life (QOL) score (outcome) after surgery was positive in all cases. Multivariate analysis showed that the site of operation (Bahtim hospital and Ain Shams Hospital [AOR(95% confidence interval CI), 5.7 (1.4-23), 5 (1.4-17.9), p = 0.015, 0.013, respectively]), education of the father (university/postgraduate [AOR (95% CI): 5 (1.4-17.9), p = 0.013]), the parents' expectation that their child would be able to participate in regular classroom activities [AOR (95% CI): 8.9 (3.7-21.3), p < 0.001], and history of Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), perinatal hypoxia, and low birth weight [AOR (95% CI): 2.5 (1.2-5.1), 3.7 (1.7-8.1), 4.7 (2.1-10.5), p = 0.013, 0.001, ≤ 0.001, respectively] are significant independent predictors of good outcome.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>All parents expressed a positive change in their child's QOL. Almost all parents of children with cochlear implants face many barriers in obtaining quality healthcare services for their children. Parents, especially those with lower schooling, should receive good counselling to increase their confidence in their children's capabilities and maximize benefits of regular follow-up. Improving the quality of healthcare centers is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"98 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10070563/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9624878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}