Background: The continuous education of healthcare workers (HCW) is considered as one of the key components of infection control programs. Since nurses are the frontline healthcare staff; their optimal and periodic training in basic infection control practices is essential. Objectives: The current study aimed at assessing the pre-existing knowledge and evaluating the effectiveness of one day educational activities to improve the knowledge regarding infection control practices. Methods: A whole day educational activity comprising didactic lectures and hands-on training on routine infection control practices was conducted for a group of 34 nursing staff. Cognitive gain was assessed using a pre-validated, pre-and posttest questionnaire. The participants' perceptions of the entire educational activity were scored based on a five-point Likert scale. Results: The average percentage of test score increased significantly from 19.71% (pretest score: 3.94 ± 2.3) to 76.69% (posttest score: 15.33 ± 2.4). The class-average normalized gain was 0.7097 (70.97%). The mode rating score of the participant's perception increased from 3 (good) to 4 (very good). Conclusions: Educational intervention had a significant impact on the improvement in the knowledge of nursing staff. Similar periodic interventions should be encouraged to facilitate the learning of HCWs on the best infection control practices.

One of the most prevalent health-related illnesses globally is catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). CAUTIs account for almost half of all hospital-acquired diseases. Most of the healthcare-acquired urinary tract infections result from catheter tubes implantation. These tubes connect a collecting system and the urinary bladder via the urethra. These are known as indwelling urinary catheters. The length of catheterization has a key role in starting bacteriuria since biofilm eventually forms on all of these devices. Despite the low percentage of people with bacteriuria who start showing symptoms, there is nevertheless a significant burden associated with these contamination due to the repeated use of indwelling urinary devices. Minimizing indwelling device usage and stopping the catheter as soon as medically possible are the two most crucial preventative measures for bacteriuria and infection when device use is required. Efforts to avoid catheter-acquired urinary infections must be implemented and monitored by infection control guidelines in healthcare institutions. These approaches include monitoring device use, the suitability of device justifications, and problems. Ultimately, technological advancements in device substances that inhibit colony generation will be necessary to avoid these infestations. There is still some way by which we can bring down the increased phenomenon of catheter-associated urinary tract contamination by maintaining hygiene while handling the catheter and patients and keeping the infected patients away or isolated from unaffected patients as a precaution. This article mainly focuses on an overview that helps with discussing prevention, risk factors, diagnosis, control and management of CAUTI.

Background: Bacterial meningitis (BM) is severe complication of central nervous system (CNS) and is often associated with high mortality and morbidity rates if not timely diagnosed and treated. Current diagnostic tools for BM and drug resistance suffer from lack of sensitivity due to paucibacillary nature of Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Objectives: The objective of the study is to develop rapid and efficacious immunological tools (Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and Lateral flow) for diagnosis of BM in hospital settings. In addition, in-house molecular assays will be developed for diagnosis of extended spectrum beta lactamases and Carbapenems drug resistance in community and hospital acquired BM infection Methodology: A prospective observational study will be carried out in patients admitted in IPD awards of CIIMS, Nagpur. Diagnosis of BM will be done using conventional gold standards and by in-house designed nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 8 etiological pathogens. An in-house ELISA assay will be standardized and optimized based on culture filtrates antigen isolated from clinical isolates of etiological pathogens associated with BM for immunological diagnosis. For diagnosis of drug resistance, in-house conventional PCR assay targeting ESBL (TEM, SHV and CTX-M) and Carbapenems (NDM, OXA-48, VIM) resistance genes will be standardized and optimized. The sensitivity and specificity of developed test will be determined by standard ROC curve using medical software. The diagnostic accuracy will be determined based on concordance with gold standards. Expected results: A simple, rapid ELISA assay will be developed for etiological diagnosis BM in hospital settings.  In addition, in house molecular assay will be developed for rapid identification of ESBL and Carbapenems drug resistance in BM cases. Conclusion: A simple, rapid, efficacious immunological and molecular tools for diagnosis of BM and drug resistance will be developed for improved management of cases in hospital settings as governance of bacterial meningitis in India is poor.

Background: Latent TB infection (LTBI) is an infection where the presence of disease causing organism M. tuberculosis is there without any sign and symptoms of the disease hence mostly remains undiagnosed, though Tuberculin skin test (TST) and Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) were used to diagnose the LTBI. They have their limitations, TST gives major cross-reactivity with BCG vaccine and gives inaccurate results in individuals who have taken BCG and IGRA are very costly and variable sensitivity is repeated in various populations hence the modifications are needed in the IGRA for proper diagnosis of LTBI. Objectives: In the proposed study we aimed to develop an improved whole blood assay                    towards a diagnosis of latent and active TB infection as an alternative to the Quantiferon QFT assay Methodology: Synthetic antigenic peptides against latency specific antigens will be designed and synthesized. Designed peptides will be screened for LTBI specific cytokine by in-vitro experiments. Development & production of Whole assay using selected peptides evaluation of developed assay through ELISA in clinical samples. Expected Results: Latent specific peptides will be identified and peptide-based whole blood assay for detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis will be developed as an indigenous alternative for the existing QFT assay. Conclusion: An improved whole blood assay will be developed for screening of LTBI in the Indian population.