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Background: This study was conducted for assessing the role of medical devices such as thermometers, stethoscopes, and cuffs in transmission of nosocomial infections in Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran in 2004.

Materials and Methods: This Descriptive study was carried out on 166 medical devices such as thermometers, stethoscopes, and cffs used in various wards of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran,2004. Samples were taken randomly from the outer surfaces of the medical instruments by use of sterile swabs poured in sterile saline. The samples immediately were transported to the microbiology laboratory of Kashan University of Medical Sciences. In laboratory, the samples were inoculated in blood agar and Eosin-Methylene Blue agar and preserved in 37° C. Identification of the isolated colonies were based on Gram staining, and biochemical standard tests such as indole, methyl red, vogesproskaur, citrate (IMViC), oxidase, and β-glucoronidase. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates gram negative bacilli were performed by the disk diffusion method according to standards developed by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCL).

Results: The overall contamination rate was 65.7% (109 out of 166). The contamination rates for cuffs and stethoscope at the various wards were 100%, and the overall for alcohol used as disinfectant of thermometers were 50%. The highest contamination rates of alcohol were seen in women in surgery ward about 100%. From the total 124 isolated micro-organisms, the gram positive cocci were 57 cases (%46), gram negative bacilli 33 (%26.6 ), gram negative cocci 14 (%11.3), gram positive bacilli 11 (%8.9), yeast 6 (%4.8), and fungi 3 (%2.4). The antibacterial susceptibility test were done on isolated gram negative bacilli and resistance to the first and third generations of cephalosporin, ciprofloxacin, and co-trimoxazole were notable

Conclusion : According to high contamination of medical devices with gram negative bacilli and their role in spread of nosocomial infections, the use of private thermometer per patients or use of disposable cover for rectal thermometers, and periodic disinfection of the stethoscope and cuffs are reasonable ways to reduce the risk of transmission.

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Background: Health care workers (HCW) are always at risk of hepatitis B. This study was carried out to evaluate the response to hepatitis B vaccination and determine Anti HBs Antibody serum level in the vaccinated HCW.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed in 128 HCW of Beheshti Hospital who were vaccinated against hepatitis B virus. Titer of Anti HBs antibody was determined by ELISA method. Statistical analysis were accomplished by using Chi-square, Fisher exact test.

Results: 60.1% of HCW were females and the rest were males (39.9%). The titer of Anti HBs was above 100IU/lit (good responder) in 73 cases (57%), between 10-100IU/lit (low responder) in 33 cases (25.8%), and lower than 10IU/lit (non responder) in 22 cases (17.2%). 81.8% of the females and 84.3% of the males were responders. 18.2% of the females and 15.7% of the males were nonresponder. There was no statistically significant correlation between age/sex and Anti HBs titer. But there was a significant statistical correlation between the interval of the last vaccination and Anti HBs titer.

Conclusion: Enough level of Anti HBs antibody was detected in the majority of personnels . There was no statistical correlation between age/sex and Anti HBs titer but there was significant correlation between Anti HBs titer and the time.

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Background: Considering the high prevalance of brucellosis and lack of definite data about its situation in our district this study was conducted to update our in knowledse and determine the frequency of clinical manifestations of hospitalized brucellosis patients in Beheshti Hospital of Kashan University of Medical Sciences during 1996-2003

Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was carried on the existing data in medical records of 380 hospitalized patients with brucelosis in Beheshti Hospital of Kashan University of Medical Sciences (KAUMS). The subjects were the patients with symptoms compatible with brucellosis and wright titer≥1.160. Demographic, clinical and laboratory findings were extracted and the collected data analyzed.

Results: 59% of the patients were male and 41% female. Most of the patients (80=21%) were in the age range of 10-19. The most common chief complaint of the patients was fever (19 . 2 % ) followed by low back pain (14 . 6 % ). The most common general complaints were fever (75 % ), arthralgia ) 70 (% , sweating (59.7 % ), anorexia (33.6 % ), and weight loss (14.7 % ). The wright, coombs wright, and 2 ME were positive in 94.8 % , 100 % , 92.2% of cases, respectively.

Conclusion: Because of the high frequency of fever, low back pain and arthralgia in our patients, brucellosis must be considered in differential diagnosis of any prolonged febrile disease with low back pain and arthralgia. Wright test was positive in most of the patients (94.8%), so it can be used as a reliable and sensititve test for the diagnosis of brucellosis.

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Background: There is a controversy on the impact of asymptomatic bacteriuria on the development of complications in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic bacteriuria in hospitalized diabetic patients.

Matreials and methods: This Cross-sectional study was carried out at Kashan Shahid Beheshti hospital in 2007. One-hundred diabetic patients were included in the study. Demographic parameters of participants were registered in a standardized questionnaire. Clean-catch midstream samples of urine were collected and immediately transported to the laboratory. In a patient with no symptoms of UTI, asymptomatic bacteriuria was defined as the presence of at least 10⁵ colony-forming units/ml of 1 or 2 uropathogenic microorganisms in two urine culture. Chi-square and the Fischer exact tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results: Asymptomatic bacteriuria was seen in 20 patients (16 female and 4 men). The most common isolated microorganisms were E. coli (10 cases), coagulase negative staphylococci (6 cases), Klebsiella spp. (2 cases), S. aureus (1 case), and Pseudomonas aeroginosa (1 case). There was a significant association between bacteriuria and the use of urine catheter (P 0.003) [OR: 13 95%, CI: 2.304-73.3].

Conclusion : Regarding the high prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in diabetic patients and its relevance with urinary catheterization, the use of urine catheter, when possible, is suggested to prevent asymptomatic bacteriuria .