Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences of consumer perceptions of labelled information and sensory attributes on consumers’ intention to buy fresh milk. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was conducted on 117 consumers in a lab at a university. After closely inspecting the labels’ information and tasting two types of milk, participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire, using the direct interview method. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were applied to analyse the data. Findings The results show that products’ labelled information and the sensory perceptions increase the buying intention of both ultra-high temperature treated fresh milk (UFM) and pasteurised fresh milk (PFM). The sensory perceptions of PFM can mediate the relationship between products’ labels and consumer buying intentions, but this relationship is not true for UFM. According to our results, nutritional facts and taking responsibility for one’s health are the keys to fresh milk commercialisation in terms of higher relative weights and commonness. Originality/value Although the sensory aspects of milk have been rigorously evaluated in the food science literature, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, few studies have focussed on the sensory perceptions of fresh milk incorporating process categories (UFM and PFM) and their mediating effect between labelled information and buying intention in the social sciences. The study is pioneering in that it investigates the perceptions of sensory attributes affecting consumer purchasing decisions for fresh milk in an emerging market.

The present study reveals microbiological profile in patients attending our hospital. Regular surveillance helps in implementing better therapeutic strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality associated in patients in health-care facility.

Background: Septicaemia in critically ill patients is a life threatening condition and requires rapid antimicrobial treatment. Infections caused by drug-resistant organisms are more likely to increase risk of death in these patients. The present study was aimed to study the profile of organisms causing septicaemia and their antibiotic resistance pattern in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a teaching hospital in Bangladesh.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in a 21-beded adult ICU of Dhaka city from November 2015 to April 2016.Results: A total of 362 patients were diagnosed clinically as septicaemia during the study period of six month. 696 blood samples were analyzed and 92 blood samples yielded growth of 94 organisms, which included 89 bacteria and 5 fungal isolates. Mean age of the patients whose blood samples showed growth of organisms was 65.1 ± 9.1 years, with female preponderance (56.7%). High prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease was found in these patients. The major organisms isolated were Acinetobacter (29.7%), Pseudomonas (26.5%), Klebsiella (18.08%), Eschericia coli (11.7%) and Candida (5.3%). All the isolates were resistant (>50%) to 3rd generation cephalosporins. Acinetobacter was highly resistant (>75%) to most of the antibiotics except colistin. Isolated Pseudomonas was also resistant to aminoglycosides (>90%) and imipenem (>65%). Klebsiella was resistant to aminoglycosides and imipenem, but Eschericia coli was sensitive to these antibiotics. Among the Enterobacteriaceae, 81.8% Eschericia coli and 11.7% Klebsiella had extended spectrum ?-lactamase activity. Frequency of gram positive organisms (6.38%) was significantly low in this study (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study provides information on antibiotic resistance of blood isolates found in ICU patients with septicaemia. It will guide the intensivists to formulate the initial empiric antibiotic therapy for the critically ill patients of ICU.Bangladesh Crit Care J September 2016; 4 (2): 100-104

Background : Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common type of nosocomial infection in critical care practice with high morbidity and mortality. Microorganisms responsible for VAP vary from place to place. So, identification of causative organism and knowledge of their resistance pattern is very important for empirical choice of antibiotic in managing VAP. The aim of this survey was to evaluate the quantitative cultures of endotracheal aspirates to determine the microorganisms responsible for VAP and to study their antibiotic resistance pattern.Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was performed over a period of six month starting from November, 2015 to April, 2016 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of BIRDEM General Hospital. Patients with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of VAP were included in this study.Result: A total of 51 patients with a clinical diagnosis of VAP were included in this study. Growth was obtained in100% of the samples yielding 88 organisms. Gram-negative organisms were the mostly isolated organism (76.13%), followed by fungi (17.04%) and gram-positive cocci (6.81%). The most common pathogen was Acinetobacter sp. followed by Klebsiella sp., Candida sp. and Pseudomonas sp. respectively. Among the gram negative organisms, Acinetobacter sp., Klebsiella sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were highly resistant (>80%) to third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Resistance to aminoglycosides (>68%) and imipenem (>60%) was also high. Resistance of Pseudomonas sp. to piperacillin-tazobactum was lower (18.2%) in comparison to Acinetobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. All the Gram-negative organisms were 100% sensitive to colistin except proteus. Regarding gram-positive cocci,Staphylococcus aureus is 100% sensitive to netilmycin and vancomycin with variable resistance pattern to other antibiotics.Conclusion: Emergence of drug resistance against the microorganism causing VAP is a serious concern in most of the ICUs. A knowledge of antibiotic susceptibility pattern will avoid its irrational use in order to control the spread of infection and for proper management of VAP.Bangladesh Crit Care J September 2016; 4 (2): 69-73