RESUMEN
CONTEXT: We believe that there is significant educational deficit amongst interns regarding up-to-date formal knowledge and skills on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) which might compromise patient safety. This urgently requires curriculum innovations to ensure their formal training on HAIs prevention and control. AIM: Education of interns to improve their knowledge and skills toward HAIs prevention and control. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This pilot study was conducted in interns using a multimodal approach consisting of a combination of videos, PowerPoint presentation, and hands-on demonstration to provide applied and practical teaching on prevention and control of HAIs. Pre- and post-test assessment of knowledge, attitude, and skills was carried out by multiple choice questions, 5-point Likert scale, and Objective Structured Practical Examination respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Paired t-test. RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement in the overall score rates between pre- and post-test of intern's was seen, suggesting that educational programs have a positive effect. Intern's felt benefitted from interventions focused on HAIs prevention and control and hoped that such sessions are integrated in the regular undergraduate curriculum. A majority of the students felt that their learning style assessment matched well with their own perception of learning preference. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment drives learning; hence strengthening the contribution of health-care workers to HAIs prevention programs should include measures that enhance knowledge, improve skills and develop appropriate attitudes, resulting in safety and quality of patient care.
RESUMEN
The objective of the current study was to compare the efficacy of phenol ammonium sulphate (PhAS) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) pretreatment methods for the direct microscopy with the Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture to detect acid fast bacilli (AFB) from pulmonary tuberculosis suspected cases using sputum specimens. To evaluate PhAS and NaOCl methods, sputum specimens (n = 1145) were studied and the performance of each method was compared with LJ media. The, PhAS centrifuged smear and NaOCl centrifuged smear method demonstrated higher sensitivity (71.47% and 77%), specificity (99.61% and 98%), positive predictive value (98.8% and 94.88%) and negative predictive value (88.35% and 90.25%), respectively, when compared to LJ culture. However, the direct AFB smears and PhAS centrifugation method was ineffective to detect few Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases from sputum specimens, particularly in blood tinged specimens with scanty bacilli. Interestingly, NaOCl method could efficiently detect the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases from blood tinged sputum specimens with scanty bacilli. The current study concluded that NaOCl method could be the most efficient and sensitive method than direct AFB smear and PhAS centrifuged smear method for the direct detection of AFB in suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.