Background: Many antineoplastic agents are known to be teratogenic and mutagenic to humans. Nurses are the main groups that are exposed to these drugs in hospital setting. Generally, the occupational activities that pose to greatest risk of exposure are the preparation and administration of antineoplastic agents, cleaning of chemotherapy spills, and handling of patient excreta. Objective: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the knowledge of nurse regarding the way of exposure of Cytotoxic Drugs (CDs) and to determine the current patterns of use of personal protective equipments while handling antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agents. Methods: An analytic cross sectional study was carried out at BPKIHS Dharan. The study was carried out on 125 nurses. The random sampling technique was used to select the study subjects using structured and semi-structured questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: More than 92% of participants reported usually wearing gloves during chemotherapy handling; 6% reported using laboratory coats as protective garments. Usual use of face and respiratory protection was less than 5%. Chemotherapy was reported to be prepared in nursing station where there are no laminar airflow hoods in 100% of work settings. None of the subjects have reportedly provided any type of medical monitoring. Conclusion: Use and availability of gloves have increased but personal protective equipment like protective garments, face and respiratory protective, when handling chemotherapy have decreased and medical monitoring of exposed employees still is neither widely practiced nor consistent with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines

Background: Child rearing practices and family environment determine the health of newborn. Harmful newborn care practices are the risk factors for late onset neonatal sepsis. The objective was to identify newborn practices related to breast feeding, cord care, hygiene of newborn and thermal care practice at home of admitted neonates with diagnosis Late Onset Neonatal Sepsis in pediatric unit of B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences tertiary center in eastern Nepal.Methods: Descriptive cross sectional study was carried out from December 2014 to January 2015 using consecutive sampling. Semi structured, pretested questionnaire was used to interview 40 mothers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20, descriptive and inferential statistics were used.Results: Initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of delivery was practiced by only 40% of mother. Among neonates, 65% were given colostrum, 25% were given pre lacteal feed, and 45% were given formula milk and animal milk. Mustard oil was used to care umbilical cord by 72.5 %. Hand washing was practiced by 62.5 % before touching the baby. Application of kajal (52.5%) in eyes and use of mustard oil (95%) for massaging newborn was common. For thermal care, burning charcoal (75%) was mostly used. The study revealed association between newborn care and mother education, per capita income of family and family type (p =0.012, p= 0.012, p=0.039) respectively. Conclusions: Majority of practices in breast feeding and thermal care were good however in cord care and newborn hygiene practices was poor which stresses the need for the promotion of health education program to mothers by health care facilities. Keywords: LONS; newborn care; practice

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Background: Nepal has one of the world's highest maternal and neonatal mortality. In Nepal,