The importance of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) behaviors in low- and middle-income countries in preventing childhood illness is well established. Tanzania is known to have high rates of chronic malnutrition and childhood stunting—both of which have been linked to poor WASH practices. Interviews were conducted with 5000 primary caregivers of children aged 0–23 months. Four composite WASH knowledge variables were created to assess the relationship between WASH knowledge and access to different forms of media, such as television, radio, and mobile phones. WASH knowledge variables measure knowledge of when to wash hands, the need for soap when washing hands, when to wash a baby’s hands, and how eating soil or chicken feces can affect a baby’s health. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to measure the association between media access and WASH knowledge. Having watched television was positively associated with higher WASH knowledge indicators (all p < 0.05). Higher WASH knowledge was positively associated with more frequent handwashing after cleaning a baby’s bottom (all p < 0.0001). The quantity of media access also had a positive linear effect on handwashing; more media items owned was associated with increases in handwashing. Study findings indicate media access is associated with WASH knowledge among caregivers in resource-poor settings.

Background Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses experience high levels of burnout related to the high-stress environment. Management of electronic health records (EHR) is a contributing factor to physician burnout. However, limited research has established the relationship between the nurse’s well-being and EHR use. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the association between EHR use and the well-being of nurses. Methods We surveyed registered nurses employed at a major Southeastern medical center in the United States about their demographics, experience with EHRs, satisfaction with EHRs, and elements of well-being. The correlation between subgroup demographics and survey questions was examined using Kendall and Fisher tests. Results A total of 113 ICU registered nurses responded to the survey, of which 93 (82.3%) were females. The population had a mean age of 35.18 years (SD 10.65). A significant association was found between satisfaction and well-being scores, where higher EHR satisfaction was associated with higher self-reported well-being (correlation 0.35, P<.001). Nurses who were unhappy with the time spent in EHR use compared with direct patient care reported higher levels of stress (P<.001) and isolation (P=.009). Older nurses reported higher dissatisfaction with the amount of time spent on EHR tasks related to direct patient care compared to younger nurses (P<.001). Conclusions Although nurses reported acceptable satisfaction scores with EHR use, deeper analysis suggests that EHR indirectly affects the well-being of nurses. These findings strongly indicate that lower EHR satisfaction can impact the well-being of nurses. More research is needed to optimize the nurse-EHR experience through more user-centered design approaches.

Objectives: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants against human pathogenic bacteria and perform Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of plants extracts. Methods: Rhizome of Curcuma longa, dried buds of Synzygium aromaticum, seeds of Zanthoxylum armatum and leaves of Elaeocarpus ganitrus, Psidium guajava, Azadirachta indica, and Artemisia vulgaris were collected from hilly regions of Nepal. The plant parts were air-dried at room temperature for several days and grinded to powder form. The ethanolic extracts of medicinal plants were prepared by using the percolation process of extraction using separating funnel and tested against human pathogenic bacteria by disc diffusion method. Then, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the plant extracts were performed. Results: All plants extracts exhibited antibacterial properties against bacteria under study. However, extract from S. aromaticum (Clove), P. guajava (Guava) and E. ganitrus (Rudraksh) leaves showed most promising result against Staphylococcus aureus with zone of inhibition of 14mm, 16mm and 16 mm respectively. Likewise, S. aromaticum (Clove), C. longa (Turmeric) and P. guajava (Guava) showed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with zone of inhibition of 11mm, 11mm and 10mm respectively. A. vulgaris (Titepati) and A. indica (Neem leaves) showed promising activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with zone of inhibition of 11mm. Z. armatum (Timur) showed good result against E. coli with zone of inhibition 10mm. MIC values of ethanolic extracts of S. aromaticum and E. ganitrus were found to be at the range of 12.5-25mg/ml. Conclusion: This study has helped to understand the use of these plants as traditional medicine in an economic and safe alternative to treat infectious diseases.

Better Brick Nepal (BBN) works under the larger NGO, Global Fairness Initiatives, to promote the reliably sourced brick manufacturing by eliminating forced, bonded labor, and child labor, promoting workplace safety and health, providing fair wages, and preventing workplace harassment. The brick industry is regarded as the second largest source for air pollution after vehicle emissions in Kathmandu Valley. The brick kiln workers who live on the kiln premises in huts are highly exposed to both indoor and outdoor air pollution. This study reviewed the practices of BBN kilns that adhere to recommended standards for worker rights, health and safety. An NGO such as BBN is proving successful at eliminating inhumane work practices and in improving brick kiln worker health and safety.

Background The nationwide lockdown was imposed upon by the Government of Nepal with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even during times of limited mobility and travel, trauma cases were presenting to the hospital. Objective To assess trauma patterns among patients presented to the Emergency department in Dhulikhel hospital during the lockdown period. The assessment of the burden of trauma during the pandemic could aid in planning allocation of resources and improving trauma care. Method A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used to assess all patients with a history of trauma during the period of lockdown announced by the Government of Nepal for COVID-19 from March 24 to June 14, 2020. Result Among 2097 patients that visited the emergency department, 23% were trauma cases. In comparison to the corresponding time-period in 2019, trauma cases reduced by more than half (54.5%). The majority of patients utilized ambulances as a means of transportation; a few patients utilized Dhulikhel emergency medical services. The most common mechanism of injury was fall injury, followed by motor vehicle accident and physical assault. Traumatic brain injury occurred in 30% of patients. Of all patients, 71% were discharged after initial treatment, 26% were admitted to different wards and 3% were referred to other health centres. Conclusion Fall injury is a crucial public health concern followed by motor vehicle accident among trauma patients even during the pandemic condition. Thus, emergency rooms should aid in planning for preparedness, mitigation of trauma during situations like these, in planning the allocation of resources and improving trauma care.