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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Camel racing injuries among children.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the frequency and severity of camel racing injuries among children aged 5 to 15 years during the period 1992 to 2003 in the State of Qatar. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: The study was conducted in the Hamad General Hospital, State of Qatar, from January 1992 to December 2003. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 275 subjects aged 5 to 15 years with camel racing injuries who were seen at the Accident Emergency Department, Critical Care, and Physiotherapy Departments of the Hamad General Hospital were studied. The sociodemographic information and the details of the injury of the studied subjects were collected. The Abbreviated Injury Scale system was used to determine the severity of injury. RESULTS: Overall, 275 camel racing injuries were reported among boys aged 5 to 15 years. The majority of patients were Sudanese (91.3%). The most commonly injured locations were upper limb (23.2%), lower limb (21.1%), and head (20.7%), followed by other injury locations. Seventeen patients were disabled as a result of their injury, and another 3 injuries were fatal. This study revealed that 34% of injuries were considered to be minor, 22.1% moderate, 18.1% serious, 11.6% critical, and 6.4% maximum. CONCLUSIONS: The injury severity caused by the camel racing significantly affected the length of hospital stay. At present, the government is serious about this problem, and there is a draft of proposed legislation intended to prevent the employment of children below the age of 12 as camel jockeys.

Abbreviated Injury Scale↗
PubMed2006

The prevalence of ADHD among primary school children in an Arabian society.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders among primary school children in the State of Qatar. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study is conducted from March 2004 to February 2005. A total of 2,000 primary school students, ages 6 to 12, are selected, and 1,541 students (77.1%) give consent to participate in this study. An Arabic questionnaire is used to collect the sociodemographic variables and a standardized Arabic version of the Conners' Classroom Rating Scale for ADHD symptoms. Of the students surveyed, 51.7% are males and 48.3% females. RESULTS: The data reveal that 112 boys (14.1%) and 33 girls (4.4%) scored above the cutoff for ADHD symptoms, thus giving an overall prevalence of 9.4%. Children who have a higher score for ADHD symptoms have school performance poorer than those with lower scores (p = .003). CONCLUSION: The study reveals that ADHD is found to be a common problem among school children in Qatar.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards SARS.

The objective of the study was to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice of the population of Qatar towards severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The study took the form of a cross-sectional community-based survey in Doha International Airport and primary health care centres situated in urban and semi-urban areas of Qatar. The survey was conducted among travellers arriving at Doha International Airport and community residents visiting health centres from April to September 2003. A total of 1,800 subjects were approached for the study of which 1,386 (77.0%) responded to the questionnaire. The study showed that although 79.4% of the total subjects claimed to know about SARS, only 8.0% had accurate knowledge about all of the symptoms of SARS. The respondents' satisfaction with the preventive measures taken by the health authorities was only 66.6%. Overall, 73.0% of the total subjects knew that SARS was highly infectious; 69.9% knew that it could spread through close contact; 67.4% were aware that high fever was the early symptom; and 60.8% thought SARS could be cured. Half of the subjects said they had gained most of their knowledge on SARS through television and radio programmes (52.2%). Three-fifths (60.1%) were afraid to travel for fear of being affected by SARS. The level of awareness of SARS among Qataris was poor (31.7%) compared to that among non-Qataris (68.3%). The level of knowledge about SARS was better among educated subjects. The survey found a high level of stress and fear among the respondents. Health authorities should be on the alert and re-examine their capacity to manage an outbreak like SARS in the event that such a mishap should recur in the future.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight in Qatari adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in Arabian oil-rich countries and are threatening to become a global epidemic. Excess weight has a great impact on the health and quality of life of individuals. However, prevalence of underweight in the developing world has shown a decline during the last decade. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity, as measured by body-mass index, in a representative sample of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years in the State of Qatar. METHODS: Qatari schoolchildren (n = 3,923) from 30 schools in urban and semiurban districts responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire. Body-mass index was calculated and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was determined on the basis of cutoff points of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) values (above the 85th and 95th percentiles, respectively, for overweight and obesity). Underweight was defined on the basis of CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) less than 5th percentile of BMI for age. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 1,968 boys and 1,955 girls. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity was 8.6%, 28.6%, and 7.9%, respectively, among adolescent boys and 5.8%, 18.9%, and 4.7% among girls. The prevalence of underweight was highest at 16 years of age among boys (10.5%) and at 17 years among girls (8.9%). The prevalence of obesity was highest at 12 years of age among boys (11.7%) and at 13 years among girls (6.4%). The 95th percentile curve for boys was above the IOTF standard curve; the 95th percentile curve for girls was below the IOTF curve. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents living in the State of Qatar are at high risk for overweight and obesity. There is a need to establish a national program for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The prevalence of hypertension and its associated risk factors in a newly developed country.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and its association with the sociodemographic, behavioral, and lifestyle characteristics of the adult qatari population. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, which was carried out in primary health care clinics (PHCs). The survey was conducted from January through to July 2003 among qatari nationals 25-65-years of age. Of the 1500 patients who were approached to participate in study, 1208 (80.5%) gave their consent. Face-to-face interviews were based on a questionnaire that included variables on age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), parity, income level, cigarette smoking, physical activity, lifestyle, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure. Hypertension was defined according to the world health organization criteria as systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mm Hg, or both. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of hypertension (BP >/=140 or >/=90 mm Hg, or both or known hypertensive) was 32.1% (32.6% in men and 31.7% in women). The age-standardized prevalence of hypertension (adjusted to the adult population of Qatar) was 31.1% (95% confidence interval 26.7-35.5%) in men and 30.2% in women (95% confidence interval 25.8-34.6%). The CVD risk factor of obesity was more prominent among women 528 (78.3%) than among men 334 (68.9%) (p<0.001). Physical inactivity was again predominant among women and found to be highly significant. A stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that diabetes (p<0.0001); hormonal problems (p<0.0001), consumption of animal fats (p<0.0001), risk of heart disease (p<0.0001), and BMI (p=0.0307) were all associated with hypertension. CONCLUSION: The present study was directed at determining the prevalence and risk factors of high blood pressure in the adult population of Qatar. The characterization of these factors will contribute to defining more effective and specific strategies to screen for and control hypertension and CVD.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Clinical, social and ethical aspects of HIV-1 infections in an Arab Gulf State.

Clinical, social and ethical aspects of HIV-1 infection as occurring in the Arab Gulf State of Qatar are presented. Up until November 1989, 50 patients were reported with HIV infection. In more than 75% of cases, the disease was acquired via transfusion of imported blood; 52% have developed AIDS and 65% of these have died. In response to the problem, the Ministry of Health has established a National AIDS Committee whose major function has been to educate both the medical profession and lay public about the disease and on ways to prevent its spread. Furthermore, the Committee has also taken on the role of patient advocate and has been instrumental in resolving many HIV-related difficulties in the community at large. Specialized HIV clinics have also been set up, with both Qatari and expatriate patients being enrolled in treatment programmes. No expatriate patient has been deported due to infection with HIV. Although many social and ethical issues remain unresolved, it appears that a rational and humane public health policy has been adopted in Qatar with respect to the AIDS threat.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed2004

Pet ownership: its effect on allergy and respiratory symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that pets are very important sensitizing agents in patients with asthma. Respiratory disorders such as asthma and allergic rhinitis are common in the State of Qatar. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine whether exposure to pets and domestic animals plays a significant role in the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis among Qatari population. DESIGN: A hospital-based prospective descriptive study conducted. SETTING: Allergy Laboratory at the Hamad General Hospital and Hamad Medical Corporation, State of Qatar. PATIENTS: Adult patients over 12 years of age diagnosed with bronchial asthma and/or allergic rhintis who were referred for allergy skin prick test. 1106 adult patients recruited with respiratory diseases of suspected allergic origin who attended Allergy Clinic at the Hamad General Hospital, during three years from January 2001 to April 2003. Total of 1106 whom 607 were females (54.9 %) and 499 were males (45.1%) and their mean was age 30 years (12-48). METHODS: Skin Prick Test (SPT) was performed on 1106 patients for common allergens whom the blood sample was taken for measuring total IgE concentration. RESULTS: There were 1106 patients studied and 496 patients (44.9%) had positive and 610 (55.1%) had negative skin prick tests. Out of 1106 patients, 311 patients (28.1%) had asthma; 503 patients had allergic rhinitis (45.5%) and 87 patients (7.8%) had skin allerg. Three hundred and forty (340/1106=30.7%) of the 1006 subjects studied had at least one animal at home, and the remaining 69.3% had never had pets in the home. A further 12% reported having had pets in the past, but not anymore. Cats (26.7%), goats (15%) and birds (14.7%), animals were the most common present within the house and was the most frequently seen pet types when compared to other pet types. The risk of having asthma (RR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.07-1.55; p=0.008), allergic rhinitis (RR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.24-1.77; p<0.0001) and eczema (RR: 3.56; 95% CI:1.24-1.77; p<0.0001) was significantly higher in subjects with animals than in patients without. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the prevalence of asthma, rhinitis, and skin allergy was significantly more common in families with animals than in those without.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Mammographic features of isolated tuberculous mastitis.

OBJECTIVE: To present the mammography findings in 8 patients with tuberculosis (TB) of the breast, with a review of the literature. METHODS: This study is a retrospective data collection. Each chart with confirmed breast TB based on bacteriology or pathologic findings was analyzed for clinical presentation, gender, nationality, demographic data, prior history of TB, investigation, management, mammographic findings and ultrasound, when available. Mammograms were reviewed by 2 consultant radiologists without knowing the previous diagnosis or the nature of the study. The study was carried out at The State Tuberculosis Registry and Radiology Department, Hamad General Hospital, State of Qatar, from 1990 to 2002. RESULTS: Out of 13 females with TB mastitis, only 8 cases had mammograms preoperatively. The incidence of breast TB in Qatar is rare (1/1000 mammograms per year). Three types of TB mastitis were identified in our study; the nodular (50%), the diffuse (37.5%) of which 77% were limited to one sector of the breast and the sclerosing (12.5%) mastitis. Three patients (43%) were reported as carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Although mammography identified 3 types of TB, it was not helpful in differentiating TB from carcinoma of the breast. However, the careful evaluation of the degree of density and trabecular thickening of the mass in relation to it size might reduce the number of false positive cases of carcinoma diagnosed with mammograms. Biopsy specimen remains the best diagnostic tool in TB mastitis.

Female↗
PubMed1999

Geography of intestinal permeability and absorption.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal morphology and function vary geographically. AIMS: These functions were assessed in asymptomatic volunteers in European, North American, Middle Eastern, Asian, African, and Caribbean countries. METHODS: Five hour urine collections were obtained from each subject following ingestion of a 100 ml iso-osmolar test solution containing 3-0-methyl-D-glucose, D-xylose, L-rhamnose, and lactulose after an overnight fast, to assess active (3-0-methyl-D-glucose) and passive (D-xylose) carrier mediated, and non-mediated (L-rhamnose) absorption capacity, as well as intestinal permeability (lactulose:rhamnose ratio). RESULTS: A comparison of results for subjects from tropical countries (n=218) with those resident in the combined temperate and subtropical region (Europe, United States, Qatar) (n=224) showed significant differences. Residents in tropical areas had a higher mean lactulose:rhamnose ratio and lower mean five hour recoveries of 3-0-methyl-D-glucose, D-xylose, and L-rhamnose, indicating higher intestinal permeability and lower absorptive capacity. Investigation of visiting residents suggested that differences in intestinal permeability and absorptive capacity were related to the area of residence. Subjects from Texas and Qatar, although comprised of several ethnic groups and resident in a subtropical area, showed no significant difference from European subjects. CONCLUSIONS: There are clearly demarcated variations in intestinal permeability and absorptive capacity affecting asymptomatic residents of different geographical areas which correspond with the condition described as tropical enteropathy. Results suggest the importance of environmental factors. The parameters investigated may be relevant to the predisposition of the indigenous population and travellers to diarrhoeal illness and malnutrition. Intestinal function in patients from the tropics may be difficult to interpret, but should take into account the range of values found in the asymptomatic normal population.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The incidence of lung cancer in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world, with an estimated number of 1.3 million new cases as of 2002. This is the first report from the countries that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the primary lung cancer cases registered in the Gulf Center for Cancer Registration during 1998 to 2001 were used to calculate the age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) per 100,000 person-years by the direct standardization method. RESULTS: Overall, there were 1607 (1261 males, 346 females) primary lung cancer cases registered during this period with the male to female ratio of 3.6:1. The highest ASR was in Bahrain (34.3 for males, 12.1 for females) followed by Qatar (18.5 for males, 5.5 for females) and Kuwait (13.8 for males, 4.0 for females); the lowest rate was in Saudi Arabia (4.8 for males, 1.3 for females). The mean age at diagnosis for males ranged from 68.7 years in Bahrain to 59.2 years in Oman. For females it ranged from 68.2 years in Bahrain to 58.0 years in Oman. Squamous cell carcinoma in males (except in Qatar) and adenocarcinoma in females were the predominant histological type. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer of the lung is one of the common cancers among males in all the GCC countries and ranks second among Bahraini females. Adenocarcinomas were more common in women than men.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Imbalance of distribution of physicians in the Arab world].

The Arab world, as a whole, now has 8.5 medical doctors per 10,000 population. This average covers a great diversity of national situations; for example 0.6 doctors per 10,000 population in Somalia, and 17.5 doctors per 10,000 population in Qatar. From the viewpoint of medical staffing, the Arab countries can be grouped into four categories: (i) Countries with low medical density: their national staff is scarce, they do not have a long academic tradition, and they have to rely on foreign physicians (Yemen, Djibouti, Somalia, Mauritania). (ii) Countries with acceptable medical density: they have strengthened their medical training system during the last decades, their production of medical graduates is now fairly high, and there is seemingly a threat of oversupply (Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq). (iii) Countries with relatively high medical density: their medical staffing is below that of developed countries, but their economic possibilities are reduced, which leads to an oversupply; these countries are exporters of medical manpower (Egypt, Jordan). (iv) Countries that import medical manpower although their own medical density is quite high: their medical training is recent or non-existent and their health system relies to a great extent on foreign doctors (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Kuwait). They are all oil producers. In brief, a shortage and an oversupply of medical doctors coexist in the Arab world, and concerted action is required.

Africa, Northern↗
PubMed1996

Expanded programme on immunization (EPI). Immunization schedules in the WHO eastern Mediterranean region, 1995.

There are 23 countries/areas in this Region (Tables 1-3). BCG is used in all but 3 countries (Cyprus, Jordan and Lebanon). Most countries/areas give BCG vaccine at birth, 2 countries (Bahrain and Tunisia) schedule additional doses at school age and Kuwait uses 1 dose at the age of 3 1/2-4 years. Diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine is used as a primary series of 3 doses in all countries/areas. Fifteen countries/areas use a fourth dose of DPT vaccine in the second year of age or later (Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran [Islamic Republic of], Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East [UNRWA]). Six countries use 5 doses of DPT vaccine, the fifth dose being given at the age of 4-6 years (Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran [Islamic Republic of], Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia). One or 2 booster doses of diphtheria-tetanus (DT) vaccine are used in 9 countries/areas from the age of 6-12 years. Td vaccine is used as a booster in Bahrain and Cyprus. Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is used in a primary series of 3 doses simultaneously with DPT vaccine in all countries/areas. Ten countries/areas use an additional dose of OPV at birth (Djibouti, Iran [Islamic Republic of], Iraq, Kuwait, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic, and UNRWA). An additional dose of OPV in the second year of life is used in 15 countries, and additional doses of OPV are recommended in some countries. In UNRWA, the first 2 doses of OPV 2 and 3 months of age are given simultaneously with the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). Measles vaccine is given in most countries/areas at 9-12 months of age, usually in the form of monovalent measles vaccine. The 2-dose policy is implemented in 12 countries. In 8 countries, the second dose is given as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and in 3 countries as monovalent measles vaccine. The age for the second dose varies. In 10 countries, it is given at 12-15 months of age, and in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at 18 months of age. The United Arab Emirates uses 3 doses. Rubella vaccine is scheduled for girls of 12-13 years of age in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and UNRWA and for boys and girls in Kuwait at 12 years of age. Hepatitis B vaccine is used in 15 countries/areas. All these countries use 3 primary doses of vaccine in infancy. The immunization time varies from birth (12 countries/areas) to 9 months of age. In Cyprus, hepatitis B vaccine is used in a 4-dose schedule, including a booster dose given to 5 to 6-year-old children. Tetanus toxoid is used for pregnant or non-pregnant women of childbearing age. It is also given to school-children in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The schedule includes 2-5 doses.

Child↗
PubMed2006

A common mutation in the CBS gene explains a high incidence of homocystinuria in the Qatari population.

We report the results of a study carried out to delineate genetic and epidemiological aspects of homocystinuria in the Qatari population. Sixty-four patients with homocystinuria (37 males, 27 females, age 1 to 29 years) from 31 nuclear families were ascertained over a period of more than four years. The incidence of homocystinuria in Qatar was calculated to be > or =1:3000, the highest in the world known so far. All patients in whom data were available were vitamin B6-nonresponsive. Molecular studies were performed in all patients. All 53 patients from tribe M and all three patients from tribe K were homozygous for the mutation c.1006C>T (p.R336C) in the CBS gene, with an additional seven patients resulting from mixed marriages between tribe M and tribe K. A single patient from tribe S was homozygous for mutation c.700G>A (p.D234N) in the CBS gene. Both mutations have been previously reported but involve hypermutable CpG dinculeotides and may be recurrent mutations in the Qatari population. The results of this study illustrate a strong founder effect causing a high prevalence of an autosomal recessive disease in a highly consanguineous Arabian population. Molecular neonatal screening may be suitable for early detection of homocystinuria in this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Cultural aspects of morbid fears in Qatari women.

The contents of morbid fears are patterned by cultural factors that decide the nature of the objects of the fears. Common factors in Western cultures do not obtain in local culture, which provides other objects for morbid fears in predisposed individuals. In the muslim community in Qatar, after-death fears dominated panic attacks, agoraphobia was rare, social phobias mirrored shame rather than guilt about failure to fulfil socially accepted norms of social behaviour, and obsessional fears revolved around fears of failure to control devil-induced impulses to harm self or others. Hypochondriacal fears of disease thrived because somatically oriented physicians colluded with somatizing patients in an endless search for presumed organic aetiology. Generalized anxiety fears were not encountered independently of other morbid fears.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage and ruptured aneurysms in the Middle East. A myth revisited.

The difficulties and controversies regarding the incidence of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhages (SSH) and ruptured intracranial aneurysms in the Middle East prompted the revision of the experience in the State of Qatar, considering the unique and favourable conditions provided by its size and Health Care System. Methodological sources of error such as diagnostic criteria and referral pattern were carefully scrutinized and evaluated. The incidence of both entities were in fact lower than any western reported values: 2.69 spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhages and 1.04 ruptured aneurysms per 100000 inhabitants/year. This value remained low even when estimated values for possible underdiagnosing errors were added. Age, sex, population at risk and the low incidence of some risk factors are probably related to the values found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Car radiator burns: a report on 72 cases.

Seventy-two cases of car radiator burns (CRB) were treated in the Burns Unit, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, over a 6-year period (1982-87). All the patients were males and most were between 20 and 40 years old. Chest wall, face and right upper limb were the commonest sites involved. Most of the patients suffered from relatively minor scalds. The scenario of the accidents as well as the topography of the burned areas were characteristic to this particular type of injury. The exceptionally high temperatures in the summer months were significantly related to the incidence of this type of burn.

Accidents↗
PubMed2004

Does hospitalization for congestive heart failure occur more frequently in Ramadan: a population-based study (1991-2001).

OBJECTIVE: Over one billion Muslims fast worldwide during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is essentially a radical change in lifestyle for the period of one lunar month, so it is important to see the response of congestive heart failure patients to this change. Our objective in this study is to investigate whether Ramadan fasting has any effect on the number of hospitalization for congestive heart failure (CHF) in a geographically defined population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of clinical data study on all Qatari patients in Qatar for a period of 10 years (January 1991 through December 2001) who were hospitalized with heart failure. Patients were divided according to the time of presentation in relation to the month of Ramadan, 1 month before, during and 1 month after Ramadan. The number of hospitalization for CHF in various time periods was analyzed. The age of presentation, gender, cardiovascular risk factor profiles (smoking status, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, pre-existing coronary heart disease) and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 20,856 patients treated during the 10-year period, 8446 of them were Qataris with 5095 males and 3351 females. Overall, 2160 Qatari patients were hospitalized for CHF and their mean age and standard deviation was 64.2 +/- 11.5 years, 52.4% were hypertensives, 18.5% had hypercholestrolemia, 17.7% were current smokers and 56.5% were diabetics. The overall mortality was 9.7%. The number of hospitalization for CHF was not significantly different in Ramadan (208 cases) when compared to a month before Ramadan (182 cases) and a month after Ramadan (198 cases); p > 0.37). There was no significant difference found in the baseline clinical characteristics or mortality (11.5%, 7.7% and 9.6%, respectively; p > 0.43) in patients presenting in various time periods. CONCLUSION: This population-based study demonstrates that no significant difference was found in number of hospitalization for CHF while fasting in Ramadan when compared to the non-fasting months.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Investigation of an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in trauma intensive care unit.

Between January and June 2002, an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii occurred in a trauma intensive care unit (TICU) at the Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar. The outbreak involved 21 patients whose infection/colonization was hospital acquired. All the strains were resistant to all tested antibiotics except amikacin. An A. baumannii strain with a similar antibiogram was isolated from the environment, equipment and hands of healthcare workers (HCWs). The technique of open suctioning probably resulted in aerosilization and contamination of the immediate patient environment. This allowed the hands of HCWs to be contaminated with the outbreak strain, with subsequent transmission to other patients and their environment. Lack of proper hand hygiene between patients and equipment contact facilitated this transmission. A review of hand hygiene practices, extensive environmental cleaning, a closed suctioning system, education and review of other infection-control practices, contributed to the termination of the outbreak.

Acinetobacter Infections↗