We describe a novel approach to deriving sb . The ratio of the sb to sa (a measure of sigma) indicates that the Beckman Coulter LH is extremely suitable for CBC monitoring of outpatients as well as for inpatients, whose sb is generally higher.

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How to cite this article: Malick MMD. Do beta adrenoceptor blocking agents provide the same degree of clinically convincing morbidity and mortality benefi ts in patients with chronic heart failure? A literature review.

Background: Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) place a significant economic burden on the healthcare system. Infection control practices are important in minimizing healthcare associated infections. However, low compliance with Universal and Standard Precautions has been reported in a number of studies. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed baseline definitions for HAIs that were republished in 2004 and has defined HAIs as those that develop during hospitalization but are neither present nor incubating upon the patient’s admission to the hospital; generally, these infections occur between 48 to 72 hours after admission and within 10 days after hospital discharge. this study aimed at unveiling the level of knowledge, attitude and practices on infection prevention control in the operating theatres by anaesthesia practitioners at TTH. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. A mixed-method approach was used for data collection which includes a structured questionnaire carried out via face to face interview and observation. Results: The study showed that 100% of the respondents have knowledge on hospital acquired infection control in the theatre in one way or the other whereas attitude and practices toward hospital infection control in the operating theatres are undesirable in some specific areas of infection control such as wearing of sterile gowns and goggle. As high as 80.6% and 69.4% do not wear goggle and gowns respectively whilst performing regional anaesthesia.  Conclusions:  This study demonstrated that anaesthetists at TTH have reported sub-optimal levels of compliance i.e. attitude and practices with selective infection control. The study further demonstrated that discrepancies exist between anaesthetists’ attitudes towards a guideline as well as their actual practice.

Background: Anemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem especially in Low and Middle-income countries (LMIC) including Ghana and is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being present when the hemoglobin concentration in the peripheral blood is 11g/dl or less. In most African countries anemia in pregnancy occurs if the hemoglobin concentration falls below 10g/dl. Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing anemia due to several factors such as hemodilution, nutritional factors, multiple gestation, socio-economic status and malaria infestation. Anemia in pregnancy is an important cause of maternal mortality and affects half of pregnant women worldwide; with 56% of West African pregnant women being anemic. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence and identify the risk factors associated with anemia among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the West Gonja Hospital(WGH) Methods: A cross-sectional was conducted with 136 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the WGH between January 2017 to February 2018. Random sampling was used to select participants and data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the SPSS Version 24.0. Results: A total 71(52.2%) of the study population were anemic, while 65 (47.8%) were not anemic. 20(74.1%) of the 27 pregnant housewives were anemic, while 11(64.7%) of the pregnant farmers were anemic. 27 (96.4%) of the 28 pregnant women who took their iron/folate supplement only some few days were anemic. 12 (100%) of the 12 participants who took their iron/folate supplement a few times a week were anemic. 4 (80%) of the 5 participants who never took their iron/folate supplement were anemic. 21 (70%) of those who did not sleep under ITN were anemic. 33 (84.6%) of the 39 patients who were diagnosed with malaria were also anemic. 28 (87.5%) of the 32 participants who took only 2 meals a day were anemic. 27 (79.4%) of the 34 patients who took liver, beef, chicken and fish only twice weekly were anemic. 15 (88.2%) of the 17 patients who drank tea some days in a week were anemic. Conclusion: Although most of the pregnant women were adequately educated on the most relevant aspects of anemia in pregnancy, more than half of them were still anemic. Anemia was more prevalent among pregnant uneducated housewives with poor nutritional habits. All the pregnant sickle cell disease patients as well as those diagnosed with malaria were also anemic.