Papers by SHARMILA SENGUPTA
Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2017
Hospital acquired infections occur at higher rates in low- and middle-income countries, like Indi... more Hospital acquired infections occur at higher rates in low- and middle-income countries, like India, than in high-income countries. Effective implementation of infection control practices is crucial to reducing the transmission of hospital acquired infections at hospitals worldwide. Yet, no comprehensive assessments of the barriers to sustained, successful implementation of hospital interventions have been performed in Indian healthcare settings to date. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model examines problems through the lens of interactions between people and systems. It is a natural fit for investigating the behavioral and systematic components of infection control practices. We conducted a qualitative study to assess the facilitators and barriers to infection control practices at a 1250 bed tertiary care hospital in Haryana, northern India. Twenty semi-structured interviews of nurses and physicians, selected by convenience sampling, were conducted in ...
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BMC public health, Jan 19, 2017
Antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis. In India alone, multi-drug resistant orga... more Antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis. In India alone, multi-drug resistant organisms are responsible for over 58,000 infant deaths each year. A major driver of drug resistance is antibiotic misuse, which is a pervasive phenomenon worldwide. Due to a shortage of trained doctors, access to licensed allopathic doctors is limited in India's villages. Pharmacists and unlicensed medical providers are commonly the primary sources of healthcare. Patients themselves are also key participants in the decision to treat an illness with antibiotics. Thus, better understanding of the patient-provider interactions that may contribute to patients' inappropriate use of antibiotics is critical to reducing these practices in urban and rural Indian villages. We conducted a qualitative study of the social determinants of antibiotic use among twenty community members in Haryana, India. Semi-structured interview questions focused on two domains: typical antibiotic use and the moti...
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Infection control and hospital epidemiology, Jan 7, 2016
OBJECTIVE To examine self-reported practices and policies to reduce infection and transmission of... more OBJECTIVE To examine self-reported practices and policies to reduce infection and transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in healthcare settings outside the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS International members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network. METHODS Electronic survey of infection control and prevention practices, capabilities, and barriers outside the United States and Canada. Participants were stratified according to their country's economic development status as defined by the World Bank as low-income, lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income, and high-income. RESULTS A total of 76 respondents (33%) of 229 SHEA members outside the United States and Canada completed the survey questionnaire, representing 30 countries. Forty (53%) were high-, 33 (43%) were middle-, and 1 (1%) was a low-income country. Country data were missing for 2 respondents (3%). Of the 76 respondents, 64 (84%) reported h...
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Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 2014
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Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 2014
This white paper identifies knowledge gaps and new challenges in healthcare epidemiology research... more This white paper identifies knowledge gaps and new challenges in healthcare epidemiology research, assesses the progress made toward addressing research priorities, provides the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Committee's recommendations for high-priority research topics, and proposes a road map for making progress toward these goals. It updates the 2010 SHEA Research Committee document, “Charting the Course for the Future of Science in Healthcare Epidemiology: Results of a Survey of the Membership of SHEA,” which called for a national approach to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and a prioritized research agenda. This paper highlights recent studies that have advanced our understanding of HAIs, the establishment of the SHEA Research Network as a collaborative infrastructure to address research questions, prevention initiatives at state and national levels, changes in reporting and payment requirements, and new patterns in antimicrobial resi...
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Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2021
ObjectivesThe WHO Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) classification has been developed to support ... more ObjectivesThe WHO Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) classification has been developed to support countries and hospitals in promoting rational use of antibiotics while improving access to these essential medicines. We aimed to describe patterns of worldwide antibiotic use according to the AWaRe classification in the adult inpatient population.MethodsThe Global Point Prevalence Survey on Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) collects hospital antibiotic use data using a standardized PPS methodology. Global-PPS 2015, 2017 and 2018 data, collected by 664 hospitals in 69 countries, were categorized into AWaRe groups to calculate proportional AWaRe use, Access-to-Watch ratios and the most common indications for treatment with selected Watch antibiotics. Only prescriptions for systemic antibiotics on adult inpatient wards were analysed.ResultsRegional Access use ranged from 28.4% in West and Central Asia to 57.7% in Oceania, whereas Watch use was lowest in Oceania (41.3%) ...
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BACKGROUND Sudden loss of smell and/or taste has been suggested to be an early marker of COVID-19... more BACKGROUND Sudden loss of smell and/or taste has been suggested to be an early marker of COVID-19 infection, with most findings based on self-reporting of sensory changes at a single time point. OBJECTIVE To understand the onset, severity, and recovery of sensory changes associated with COVID-19 infection, this study will longitudinally track changes in chemosensory acuity among people with suspected COVID-19 infection using standardized test stimuli that are self-administered over 28 days. METHODS In a prospective, case-controlled observational study, volunteers will be recruited when they present for COVID-19 screening by respiratory tract polymerase chain reaction test (“swab test”). The volunteers will initially complete a series of questionnaires to record their recent changes in smell and taste ability, followed by a brief standardized smell and taste test. Participants will receive a home-use smell and taste test kit to prospectively complete daily self-assessments of their s...
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BMJ open, Jan 2, 2017
There are only 0.70 licensed physicians per 1000 people in India. Thus, pharmacies are a primary ... more There are only 0.70 licensed physicians per 1000 people in India. Thus, pharmacies are a primary source of healthcare and patients often seek their services directly, especially in village settings. However, there is wide variability in a pharmacy employee's training, which contributes to inappropriate antibiotic dispensing and misuse. These practices increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and poor patient outcomes. This study seeks to better understand the factors that drive inappropriate antibiotic dispensing among pharmacy employees in India's village communities. We conducted a mixed-methods study of the antibiotic dispensing practices, including semistructured interviews and a pilot cross-sectional Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice survey. All data were transcribed, translated from Hindi into English, and coded for themes. Community pharmacies in villages in Haryana, India. We recruited 24 community pharmacy employees (all male) by convenience sampling. Participants...
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The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 2000
Stethoscopes are an essential tool of the medical profession and can become a source of nosocomia... more Stethoscopes are an essential tool of the medical profession and can become a source of nosocomial infection. A study conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Kasturba Medical College and Hospital showed a high carriage of methicillin resistant staphylococcus (69.76%) and multi-drug resistant Gram negative bacilli (20.93%) on regularly used stethoscopes. The antibiogram of the bacterial isolates strongly suggested these to be nosocomial strains. A verbal survey revealed that regular cleaning is not common among doctors. A policy regarding cleaning of stethoscopes with an effective disinfectant may be helpful in reducing hospital-associated infections.
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CHEST Journal, 2013
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Indian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2010
Sharps injury (SI) and blood and body fluid exposure are occupational hazards to healthcare worke... more Sharps injury (SI) and blood and body fluid exposure are occupational hazards to healthcare workers (HCWs). Although data from the developed countries have shown the enormity of the problem, data from developing countries, such as India, arelacking. Purpose : The purpose of this study was to cumulate data from fourmajor hospitals in India and analyze the incidence of SI and blood and body fluid exposure in HCWs. Four Indian hospitals (hospital A, B, C and D) from major cities of India participated in this multicentric study. Data ranging from 6 to 26 months were collected from these hospitals using Exposure Prevention Information network (EPINet) which is the database created by International Healthcare Worker Safety Research and Resource Center, University of Virginia. Two hundred and forty-three sharp injuries and 22 incidents of blood or body fluid exposure were encountered in the cumulated 50 months of our study. The incidence of SIswas thehighestamong nurses (55%) of allthe HCWs, akin to the global data. An injury rate of nearly 20% among housekeeping staff seems to be specific to the Indian data. Patient's room followed by operation theater appeared to be common locations of injury in our study. The source of the injury was identified in majority (64%) of the injuries. A major part of the group was not the primary users of the sharp (38%). Disposable needles caused nearly half of the injuries. Suture needles contributed to a reasonable number of injuries in one of the hospitals. The incidence of SI is the highest among nurses and the housekeeping staff (>30% each). A substantial number of injuries are avoidable.
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Current Infectious Disease Reports, 2013
Cutaneous herpes zoster is a benign, localized painful skin lesion, more common in the elderly an... more Cutaneous herpes zoster is a benign, localized painful skin lesion, more common in the elderly and immunocompromised population across the globe. It is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus lying dormant in the dorsal root ganglion. Although self-limiting in nature, it can cause protean complications in the vulnerable patient. The advent of antiviral therapy and an FDA-approved vaccine has reduced the morbidity of the disease considerably. However, focused research on the disease-modulating factors and prevention in the immunocompromised are still issues that warrant research. The current understanding of cutaneous herpes zoster and its pathogenesis, complications, and management are discussed in this review.
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Papers by SHARMILA SENGUPTA