Soap and infection

INTRODUCTION: Compared to adults, newborns' skin has thinner epidermis and stratum corneum with decreased hydration level, higher transepidermal water loss, and pH variation between 5.5 and 7.5. These characteristics can predispose the occurrence of dryness, infections, and dermatological conditions. Water and liquid soap with adequate formulation have shown to be beneficial and safe for newborns' skin. However, studies evaluating the effect of bar soap, products widely used in Brazil and Latin America, are unknown...

Individuals living near cholera patients have an increased risk of cholera infections. Case-area targeted interventions (CATIs) promoting improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) present a promising approach to reducing cholera for those residing near cholera cases. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness and implementation of this approach in increasing WASH behaviors. We conducted a mixed-methods program evaluation in rural and urban eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The quantitative component included household structured observations and spot checks in CATI and control areas to assess WASH conditions and behaviors...

OBJECTIVE: Non-compliance with COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) is one of the global public health problems particularly among those frontline healthcare workers. However, there are no detailed investigations on COVID-19 IPC compliance among healthcare workers in conflict-affected settings. The objective of this research was to assess compliance with COVID-19 IPC measures and determine the factors associated with it among healthcare providers in Ethiopian governmental hospitals affected by conflict...

Handwashing with soap at critical moments is one of the most important factors in controlling the spread of germs and preventing the spread of infection. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a low-cost, school-based intervention that simulated germs and their spread on hand hygiene knowledge, attitude and practice of primary school children. Five hundred and sixty-two students from 28 rural schools were enrolled in this pre-posttest study. Endline data was collected 4 weeks after conducting the intervention at baseline...

In Ethiopia, the WHO strategies to stop coronavirus transmission were implemented rapidly. As a result, there was a rapid change in hygiene behavior, which are basic for preventing COVID-19 and other contagious diseases. This research was designed to examine the sustainability of the COVID-19 imposed hygiene behaviors for future challenges. The study was conducted in 2 major nexus areas in Addis Ababa. The data were collected using a questionnaire and spot-check from 622 respondents selected by systematic random sampling...

BACKGROUND: Cholera can result in the expulsion of important microbiota from the gut and result in death if left untreated. The disease transmits mainly via drinking water carrying Vibrio cholerae; and household contacts (HHC) of cholera patients are at elevated risk during the first week of infection. The gut microbiota profiles of HHC-children of cholera patients at Dhaka city slums were investigated before (day 0) and after (day 8) delivery of chlorinated water as part of the major study 'CHoBI7 trial (cholera-hospital-based intervention for 7 days)'...

Humanitarian crises such as disease outbreaks, conflict and displacement and natural disasters affect millions of people primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Here, they often reside in areas with poor environmental health conditions leading to an increased burden of infectious diseases such as gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. Water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviours are critical to prevent such infections and deaths. A scoping review was conducted to map out what is known about the association between three mental health disorders and people's perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours, particularly handwashing, in humanitarian and pandemic crises...

Infections with COVID-19 in enclosed public spaces, where virus-laden aerosol particles can accumulate over time, have significantly contributed to the rapid spread of the virus. It is therefore of great importance to understand the transport and dispersion process of aerosol particles in such spaces, especially against the background of future pandemics. In this work, we present a Lagrangian-Particle-Tracking experiment to assess the mixed convective flow in a classroom with different ventilation strategies...

Taenia solium porcine cysticercosis (PCC) is widespread in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where free-range pig rearing is common and hygienic standards are subpar. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 42 villages between June and September 2019 (14 in Songwe district, southwest Tanzania, and 28 in Kongwa district, central Tanzania). Using a commercial Ag-ELISA kit (apDia, Belgium), circulating antigens of Taenia spp in pig serum were identified and used to calculate the PCC seroprevalence...

The emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, rapidly escalated into a worldwide public health crisis. Despite numerous clinical treatment endeavors, initial defenses against the virus primarily relied on hygiene practices like mask-wearing, meticulous hand hygiene (using soap or antiseptic solutions), and maintaining social distancing. Even with the subsequent advent of vaccines and the commencement of mass vaccination campaigns, these hygiene measures persistently remain in effect, aiming to curb virus transmission until the achievement of herd immunity...

Poor hand hygiene practice has been linked to an increase in the number of infections among children in urban slums. Hands are considered an intersection for bacterial transmission, but it is unclear whether the handwashing technique affects bacteria elimination. This study investigated the effect of handwashing on the concentration of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and factors related to its reduction among children in an urban slum in Bandung, Indonesia. We observed handwashing and conducted repeated hand swabs before and after handwashing among 137 participants...

Although the use of celebrities for communication within social marketing to influence voluntary behaviour change has received significant attention, its application to promote infection preventive behaviours, such as frequent handwashing with soap, has received limited attention. Using the health belief model (HBM), the study examined the moderating effect of celebrity endorsement (CE) on the relationship between the predictors of HBM such as perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy and target audiences' intention to avoid handshaking, frequently wash hands with soap and cover mouth with an elbow when coughing...

BACKGROUND: Skin antiseptics are used for several purposes before surgical procedures, for bathing high-risk patients as a means of reducing central line-associated infections and other health care associated infections. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed to update the evidence on skin antiseptic products and practices. RESULTS: Current guidelines for prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) recommend preoperative baths or showers with a plain or antimicrobial soap prior to surgery, but do not make recommendations on the timing of baths, the total number of baths needed, or about the use of chlorhexidine gluconate (CGH)-impregnated cloths...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between home disinfectant use and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among environmental isolates of human pathogens. METHODS: Bacteria were cultured from 5 kitchen and 5 bathroom sites using quantitative methods. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by standard methods. Home disinfectant use was assessed via a questionnaire. RESULTS: The overall total mean log10 counts (total CFU) for the kitchen and bathroom were 4...

Introduction Menstruation affects many young girls in a negative way in relation to their physical and psychological health despite being a reasonably common issue in daily life. Their health relies on their learning about fundamental menstruation hygiene. They have a significant risk of developing ailments due to their lack of education in this area. Young girls can avoid several preventable illnesses by being educated about menstruation hygiene and practices. Therefore, our study aimed to assess the impact of a health education intervention on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of teenage girls about menstrual hygiene...

OBJECTIVE: We investigated gender differences in psychosocial determinants that affect hand hygiene (HH) performance among physicians. DESIGN: The survey included a structured questionnaire with 7 parts: self-assessment of HH execution rate; knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding HH; internal and emotional motivation for better HH; barriers to HH; need for external reminders; preference for alcohol gel; and embarrassment due to supervision. SETTING: The study was conducted across 4 academic referral hospitals in Korea...

In 2021, an operational research study in two tertiary hospitals in Freetown showed poor hand hygiene compliance. Recommended actions were taken to improve the situation. Between February-April 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the same two hospitals using the World Health Organization hand hygiene tool to assess and compare hand hygiene compliance with that observed between June-August 2021. In Connaught hospital, overall hand hygiene compliance improved from 51% to 60% ( p < 0.001), and this applied to both handwash actions with soap and water and alcohol-based hand rub...

Bacterial skin infections are common in children, and frequently do not require systemic antibiotic therapy, particularly for superficial forms. In these cases, washing (with soap and water) and careful rinsing of the lesion are the key points of treatment. A semiotic analysis must precede any therapeutic decision to assess the appropriateness of antibiotic therapy, need for drainage (which may be spontaneous or surgical) and possible existence of symptoms related to toxin production, which are frequent signs of severity...

BACKGROUND: French guidelines for the prevention of vascular access infections in a haemodialysis setting were released in 2005. Compliance with these guidelines is currently unknown. Our aim was to assess compliance with guidelines for vascular access infection prevention in French haemodialysis units, and to describe the difficulties reported. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and December 2019 in 200 haemodialysis units randomly selected in France...

BACKGROUND: Despite being preventable and treatable, viral hepatitis remains a major public health problem in India. In the line of their duties, nursing professionals are constantly at risk of infection. To combat viral hepatitis, it is essential to ascertain the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices among nursing professionals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-section study was conducted at a tertiary public hospital, as a nation-wide online survey after ethical clearance and participants' consent...