Fungal contamination of food in hematology units.
(1/48)
The prevalence of thermotolerant fungi on non-heat-sterilizable food was determined. Aspergillus spp. were noted in 100% of pepper and regular tea samples, 12 to 66% of fruits, 27% of herbal teas, and 20% of freeze-dried soup samples. All soft cheese samples were contaminated by Geotrichum and yeast (Candida norvegensis) but Candida albicans was never identified. (+info)
Special diets in hospitals: discrepancy between what is prescribed and what is eaten.
(2/48)
An assessment has been made in four hospitals of the food eaten by 40 patients on special diets restricted in energy, carbohydrate, fat, protein, or sodium. The diets eaten by most patients were significantly different from those prescribed, partly because of patients' unrestricted access to food they possessed or could buy in the ward, but mainly because of the extra or alternative foods provided by ward staff. Not only may the patients, progress be prevented or hindered by excessive consumption but also the lack of progress may be interpreted as indicating that the dietary treatment has failed rather than that it has not been followed. (+info)
Molecular analysis of a hospital cafeteria-associated salmonellosis outbreak using modified repetitive element PCR fingerprinting.
(3/48)
A hospital cafeteria-associated outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis was retrospectively evaluated using modified repetitive element PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting with the ERIC2 and BOXA1R primers and computer-assisted gel analysis and dendrogram construction. Rep-PCR yielded objective between-cycler, same-strain similarity values of from 92% (composite fingerprints) to 96% (ERIC2 fingerprints). The 70 Salmonella isolates (which included 19 serotype Infantis isolates from the hospital outbreak, 10 other serotype Infantis isolates, and 41 isolates representing 14 other serotypes) were resolved well to the serotype level with each of the three fingerprint types (ERIC2, BOXA1R, and composite). Rep-PCR typing uncovered several historical serotyping errors and provided presumptive serotype assignments for other isolates with incomplete or undetermined serotypes. Analysis of replicate fingerprints for each isolate, as generated on two different thermal cyclers, indicated that most of the seeming subserotype discrimination noted in single-cycler dendrograms actually represented assay variability, since it was not reproducible in combined-cycler dendrograms. Rep-PCR typing, which would have been able to identify the presence of the hospital-associated serotype Infantis outbreak after the second outbreak isolate, could be used as a simple surrogate for serotyping by clinical microbiology laboratories that are equipped for diagnostic PCR. (+info)
Forecasting patient tray census for hospital food service.
(4/48)
Five computerized forecasting models were tested with data on daily patient tray demand in a large medical center food service, and results were compared with intuitive forecasts made by the food service supervisor. All five models gave more accurate results than the intuitive procedure; an adaptive exponential smoothing model was most accurate. The effects of model complexity and data storage requirements are discussed, and simple exponential smoothing is suggested for forecasting patient tray demand in this setting. (+info)
Changes of patients' satisfaction with the health care services in Lithuanian Health Promoting Hospitals network.
(5/48)
The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes of patients' satisfaction with health care services in Lithuanian Health Promoting Hospitals network. In a survey, which was carried out by Lithuanian Health Promoting Hospitals network, 1271 patients took part in 2000 and 1467 patients in 2002. The patient's satisfaction with health care services was evaluated using a uniform anonymous questionnaire. The patients were asked to evaluate hospital environment (neatness, cleanliness, and food quality), the quality of health personnel work (attentiveness, care, risk factors, and tests used for diagnosis and treatment) rating from 1 (very bad) to 6 (excellent). It was ascertained that, during the period between both surveys, the number of patients who evaluated the sanitary conditions in the ward as excellent and very good, increased from 49.2% to 59.9%, p<0.05. According to the data received from both surveys, the hospital food quality was rated more critically than the hospital environment. The number of patients, who noted that the food quality was satisfactory, decreased from 29.8% to 22.0%, p<0.05 within the period analyzed. However the number of patients who had a positive opinion of the health care personnel's attentiveness and help while explaining the causes and consequences of various illnesses increased. Patients' assessment of the physician work remained the same. The majority of the patients (95.1% in 2000 and 94.9% in 2002) appreciated the overall performance of the physicians, and rated it very good and excellent. The analysis of patients' satisfaction is a simple study of a constituent part of the health care service quality assessment and an objective prerequisite for the improvement of the quality of the health care services. (+info)
DietPal: a Web-based dietary menu-generating and management system.
(6/48)
BACKGROUND: Attempts in current health care practice to make health care more accessible, effective, and efficient through the use of information technology could include implementation of computer-based dietary menu generation. While several of such systems already exist, their focus is mainly to assist healthy individuals calculate their calorie intake and to help monitor the selection of menus based upon a prespecified calorie value. Although these prove to be helpful in some ways, they are not suitable for monitoring, planning, and managing patients' dietary needs and requirements. This paper presents a Web-based application that simulates the process of menu suggestions according to a standard practice employed by dietitians. OBJECTIVE: To model the workflow of dietitians and to develop, based on this workflow, a Web-based system for dietary menu generation and management. The system is aimed to be used by dietitians or by medical professionals of health centers in rural areas where there are no designated qualified dietitians. METHODS: First, a user-needs study was conducted among dietitians in Malaysia. The first survey of 93 dietitians (with 52 responding) was an assessment of information needed for dietary management and evaluation of compliance towards a dietary regime. The second study consisted of ethnographic observation and semi-structured interviews with 14 dietitians in order to identify the workflow of a menu-suggestion process. We subsequently designed and developed a Web-based dietary menu generation and management system called DietPal. DietPal has the capability of automatically calculating the nutrient and calorie intake of each patient based on the dietary recall as well as generating suitable diet and menu plans according to the calorie and nutrient requirement of the patient, calculated from anthropometric measurements. The system also allows reusing stored or predefined menus for other patients with similar health and nutrient requirements. RESULTS: We modeled the workflow of menu-suggestion activity currently adhered to by dietitians in Malaysia. Based on this workflow, a Web-based system was developed. Initial post evaluation among 10 dietitians indicates that they are comfortable with the organization of the modules and information. CONCLUSIONS: The system has the potential of enhancing the quality of services with the provision of standard and healthy menu plans and at the same time increasing outreach, particularly to rural areas. With its potential capability of optimizing the time spent by dietitians to plan suitable menus, more quality time could be spent delivering nutrition education to the patients. (+info)
Do Japanese take more folate from traditional Japanese dish than is conventionally estimated?-Actual folate contents in hospital diets and marketed lunch boxes.
(7/48)
Folic acid deficiency is very rare in Japan. However, recent concerns in relation to causal relationships between cancer and low folic acid levels necessitate information on actual folate intake by Japanese, which has hitherto not been well studied. We therefore evaluated folate contents of a hospital diet for 7 consecutive days and of 16 lunch boxes purchased at convenience stores. Dietary intake was assessed for weighed food items after cooking using our previously published data on folate contents of various foods and also by using Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (STFCJ). Mean daily folate intake from the hospital diet was 723.9 microg/day using our data but only 359.2 microg/day if calculated using the STFCJ. Twenty-nine % of the total daily folate intake was through rice. Mean folate intake through lunch boxes was 491.7 microg/day by our tabulation and 139.5 microg/day with the STFCJ. Folic acid intake of Japanese is far above the levels taken in other countries and over half of this amount is taken from rice. Levels of folic acid contents (especially in rice) listed in the STFCJ are too low and revision is strongly suggested. (+info)
Nutritional analysis of blenderized enteral diets in the Philippines.
(8/48)
The objective of this study was to analyze the nutritional quality and viscosity of blenderized enteral tube feedings (BTFs) from four hospitals in the Philippines. Samples of two different BTFs (one standard and one modified) were collected from each hospital on three separate occasions and analyzed for macronutrients, micronutrients, and viscosity. There was considerable variation among the BTFs for the concentrations of most nutrients measured. For standard BTF samples, the caloric density ranged from 66-123 kcal/100g and the percentages of total weight for protein, carbohydrate, and fat ranged from 1.5-4.0%, 8.6-21.4%, and 0.27-3.40%, respectively. Levels of specific vitamins were undetectable in 10 standard and 15 modified BTF samples. In samples where vitamin levels were detectable, results were: vitamin A, 625-8850 IU/kg; riboflavin, 0.40-5.00 mg/kg; and pyridoxine, 0.14-3.00 mg/kg. Mineral concentrations also varied greatly (eg calcium, 64-524 mg/kg; sodium, 148-886 mg/kg; iron, 3.0-13.7 mg/kg; and zinc, 1.8- 11.5 mg/kg). Correlation coefficients were statistically significant only for carbohydrate (r = 0.48, P = 0.017). Measured values tended to be lower than expected values for all nutrients, although the difference was statistically significant only for calories (P = 0.023). The viscosity of BTF samples ranged from 2.3-45,060 centipoise, excluding three samples that were too viscous for analysis. This study demonstrates that hospital prepared blenderized enteral tube feedings render unpredictable levels of micronutrients and macronutrients and appear likely to deliver less than the desired amounts of nutrients. Additionally, the viscosity of these feedings may be unsuitable for infusion through feeding tubes. (+info)