Saint Francis University

About: Saint Francis University is a education organization based out in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Osteoblast. The organization has 1694 authors who have published 2038 publications receiving 87149 citations.

Are there simple measures to reduce the risk of HIV infection through blood transfusion in a Zambian district hospital

Abstract: Summaryobjective To quantify the potential impact of simple measures to reduce the risk of iatrogenic HIV infection through blood transfusion in a Zambian district hospital. methods Three studies were conducted at St. Francis' Hospital, Katete, Zambia: (1) From 1991 to 1995 HIV seroprevalence among all listed blood donors and the impact of proper subgroup selection were studied retrospectively; (2) the sensitivity of locally used rapid antibody assays (HIV-spot/Wellcozyme HIV 1 & 2) for the detection of HIV in donor blood and the influence of the expiration date of the tests on this sensitivity were determined prospectively from June 1993 until March 1994 by screening all consecutive surgical patients and blood donors; (3) the number of unnecessary blood transfusions was determined retrospectively from January 1995 through January 1996 and prospectively from February 1996 through March 1996, and possibilities to reduce the total number of blood transfusions were considered. results (1) Excluding prisoners, who have an HIV seroprevalence of 19–25%, from the donor population significantly reduces the overall HIV seroprevalence from 13–16% to 8–9% (P < 0.01). (2) Under local circumstances the sensitivity of the used rapid antibody assays was 6.8–17.9% lower than claimed by the manufacturer. Usage of non-expired tests increased the sensitivity significantly from 88.2% to 91.7% (P < 0.05). (3) None of the 294 studied blood transfusions can be classified as inappropriate according to international standards. conclusions Simple measures such as proper subgroup selection among blood donors and correct use of non-expired tests may decrease the risk of iatrogenic HIV transmission. Stricter indications for blood transfusions will not substantially reduce the number of transfusions.

Clinical features and prognosis of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes who were exposed to atomic bomb radiation in Nagasaki

Abstract: There is evidence that radiation exposure is a causative factor of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, little is known about whether radiation exposure is also a prognostic factor of MDS. We investigated the impact of radiation exposure on the prognosis of MDS in Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors using the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and the revised version (IPSS-R). Subjects were 140 patients with primary MDS diagnosed between 1985 and 2011 and evaluable for IPSS, IPSS-R, and exposure distance. Of those, 31 were exposed at <1.5 km, 35 at 1.5-2.99 km, and 74 at ≥3.0 km. By the end of March 2014, 47 patients (34%) progressed to overt leukemia and 106 (75.7%) died. By comparing with patients exposed at ≥3.0 km, those exposed at <1.5 km had significantly higher frequencies of abnormal chromosome (P = 0.02), intermediate/poor IPSS, and intermediate/poor/very poor IPSS-R cytogenetic category (P = 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively). As with de novo MDS, multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that cytogenetic abnormalities, IPSS karyotype, and IPSS-R cytogenetics were significantly associated with poor survival, and cumulative incidence of leukemic transformation in MDS among atomic bomb survivors, but exposure distance was not associated with any poor outcomes. These suggest that exposure to the greater dose of atomic bomb radiation is associated with developing poor cytogenetic abnormalities in MDS, which might consequently lead to overt leukemia among atomic bomb survivors.

Impact of a case management protocol for childhood pneumonia in a rural Zambian hospital.

Abstract: SummaryThis study aimed to assess the impact of adopting the WHO case management protocol for childhood pneumonia in a district hospital in rural Zambia. The subjects were children under 5 years of age with a diagnosis of pneumonia, admitted in the 9-month period following introduction of the WHO protocol. Management and outcome were compared with a historical control group admitted during the same period in the previous year. There were 158 children in the intervention group and 135 controls with similar age and sex distribution. Both groups were malnourished (mean weight-for-age Z score in subjects =—1.91, in controls =—1.83). There was no significant difference in the numbers receiving parenteral antibiotics or supplementary fluids in each group. However, children in the intervention group were significantly more likely to receive oxygen (odds ratio 4.7, 95% confidence interval 2.8–8.1, p < 0.0001). Mortality was significantly greater in the control group (case fatality rate, 25%) compared with the int...

Smart Restaurant System using RFID Technology

Abstract: With a move towards a digital India, digitization has to be ensured in all aspects of the society. In this paper a RFID based restaurant management system by using the concepts of open source technologies like Python and Raspberry Pi is presented. This system is introduced as a solution to the bottleneck caused by the cashiers. Focusing on selfservice, the proposed system aims to develop a digital, contactless and secure restaurant environment which will enable patrons to seamlessly Select, Scan and Eat their desired food items. Identification of food items along with the payment is done using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology wherein each food item is marked using adhesive RFID tags, the amount for the same is deducted automatically from the patron’s digital wallet. This results in significant advancement towards automatic management and reduction in manual labour in a restaurant environment.

The maternity home for adolescents: a concept from the past fulfilling a contemporary need.

Abstract: Maternity homes endure as an important means of imparting total care to some of today's homeless pregnant girls. This description of one such program is intended to serve as a model for the modern maternity residence for teens. Homelessness is a major complication of adolescent pregnancy. We believe that a supervised group home can be utilized to provide comprehensive care for homeless pregnant young women. We compiled data over the past six years (1986-91) from a residential facility for pregnant teenagers and their newborns, where the principal coauthor serves as voluntary medical director. During this period, 285 homeless adolescent females were admitted to the facility; their average age was 15.75 years, and 50% were white, 37% were African-American, and 13% were latino. All of the residents who were assigned private bedrooms, received prenatal care, accredited on-site schooling, family-life education, social services, dietary counseling, day-care services, and meals. The average length of stay was four months. The average birth weight was 6.62 pounds. Sixteen percent of the newborns were placed for adoption. Data from 1987 through 1989 showed that 74% of the girls had either attained their educational or vocational objectives or were pursuing those goals at the time of discharge. Achievements included high school graduation, job training, and college attendance. We conclude that this type of residential environment provides a wide range of resources beneficial to the homeless pregnant teen and her baby.