This pilot study compares symptoms of depression and risk factors amongst Syrian refugees and low-income Lebanese mothers accessing a primary care centre in Beirut between January and June 2018. Women who gave birth in the previous two years or who were currently pregnant were included in the study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Arabic Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Correlations between EPDS score and sociodemographic and mental health variables were analysed using Pearson’s coefficient and ANOVA. 35 Syrian and 25 Lebanese women were recruited, 15 of whom were pregnant. EPDS scores were high in the whole group (mean 16.12 (SD 7.72), n = 60). Scores were higher amongst Syrian refugees than Lebanese mothers (17.77, SD 7.66 vs, 13.80, SD 7.34, p < 0.05). Illegal residence ( p < 0.001), domestic violence ( p < 0.05) and a history of mental illness (p < 0.01) were associated with higher scores. This pilot study demonstrates high rates of symptoms of depression amongst mothers in this population. Symptoms were particularly prevalent amongst Syrian refugees; three-quarters were ‘probably depressed’ and would warrant psychiatric assessment. This highlights the importance of improved mental healthcare for refugee mothers, the importance of addressing the social determinants of maternal mental health and further research into the effects of depression on these women and their children.

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Objectives Despite numerous initiatives, occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens (BBP) caused by percutaneous injuries or mucosal contamination remain common among healthcare workers (HCWs). These exposures were decreasing at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in the previous decades. Recently, the medical center activity has been increasing with higher number of interventions performed and shorter hospital stay. Our aim was to determine the trend of incidents resulting from BBP exposures at AUBMC from 2014 till 2018 and identify whether the increase in hospital activity affected the rate of these exposures. We also aimed to assess the risk factors associated with needle stick injuries (NSIs). Methods A retrospective observational descriptive study of all exposures to BBPs among HCWs reported to the Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management department at the AUBMC between 2014 and 2018 was performed. Results There were 967 exposures reported among which 84% were due to needlesticks. Residents (40%), followed by nurses (30%), and then by attending physicians (16%) were the top three most exposed occupational groups. Half of the participants injured themselves using either a syringe or a suture needle; and mostly during or after use. Occupation and incident location were associated with NSIs. The mean BBP exposure incidence rate was 5.4 per 100 full-time employees, 65.6 per 100 bed-years, and 0.48 admission-years. The BBP exposure rate per 100 occupied beds per year decreased between 2014 and 2017 then increased in 2018 (P &lt; 0.001). The number of BBP exposures showed a strong, though non-significant negative correlation with the average length of hospital stay (Spearman correlation coefficient = −0.9, P = 0.083). Conclusions BBP exposure remains a serious occupational hazard. Our study shows that the BBP exposure rate per 100 occupied beds per year started decreasing during the study period before increasing again in 2018. Only the nursing department showed a consistent decrease of exposures. The occupation and incident location were found to be risk factors associated with NSIs. In addition to providing education and training, additional steps such as providing safety equipment and future interventions directed towards adjusting to higher workload should be all considered.

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The role of antibiotics has been instrumental in preventing and treating bacterial infections since the discovery of penicillin several decades ago. 1 However, the risk of resistance was emerging with time, despite the development of new antibiotics. This is mainly due to the bacteria's ability to change in response to the administered antibiotics by picking up resistance-encoding genes from neighbouring bacteria, hence leading to a reduction and neutralisation in the effectiveness of antibiotics. 2 The overuse and misuse of antibiotics facilitate the development of resistant bacterial strains. [2][3][4] Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a worldwide public health problem, common in both developed and developing countries.Globalisation fuels the spread of antibiotic resistance by accelerating transmission through increased trade, travel and human and animal migration. 3 The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared