Articles: disease.
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Bull. World Health Organ. · Jan 1995
Reducing the risk of unsafe injections in immunization programmes: financial and operational implications of various injection technologies.
The unsafe use and disposal of injection equipment continues to put patients, health care workers, and the general community at risk of infections such as hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus. Although the potential for unsafe injection practices varies substantially with the type of equipment that is used, technology alone cannot totally eliminate the risk. A knowledge of the cost, practicality and, most importantly, the potential for misuse, is critical for selecting the most appropriate injection equipment for each immunization setting. ⋯ However, only autodestruct syringes virtually eliminate the risk of unsafe injection practices. Owing to differences in cost and programme factors, in some settings it may be appropriate to use a combination of equipment. For example, autodestruct syringes may be used in areas where it is difficult to ensure adequate supervision, while in medium-sized, fixed-site clinics with safe injection practices, sterilizable equipment will be the most cost-effective.
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Reported are the results of a study of residents' knowledge about malaria and antimalarial drugs and of their treatment-seeking behaviour in a rural area of western Kenya. The study subjects were generally well-informed about the symptoms of the disease. Malaria was perceived as a relatively mild illness, much less severe than acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), measles, difficulty in breathing, and diarrhoea. ⋯ Commercially available chloroquine preparations were perceived as more effective than either antipyretics or herbal remedies for the treatment of malaria, and injections were regarded as more effective than oral medications. 4-Amino-quinolines were used to treat 58% of febrile illnesses but in only 12% of the cases was a curative dose of > or = 25 mg/kg body weight employed. Even attendance at a health centre did not ensure adequate treatment because of the common practice of sharing medication among family members. Greatly increased attention should be paid to the role of home treatment of malaria when policies are being developed for the management of febrile illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Arch. Gynecol. Obstet. · Jan 1995
Review Case ReportsNecrotizing fasciitis following postpartum tubal ligation. A case report and review of the literature.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, but devastating subcutaneous bacterial infection which occurs following breaks in skin integrity, either natural, post traumatic or post surgical. Although it has been described following many surgical procedures, necrotizing fasciitis has not been previously described following postpartum tubal ligation. ⋯ Postpartum tubal ligation is one of the most common surgical procedures in obstetrics and gynecology, thus reports of complications resulting from this procedure are quite relevant to clinical practice. We present here the first reported case of necrotizing fasciitis following postpartum tubal ligation through an infraumbilical incision.