Search

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat requiring immediate attention as it is set to cause ten million deaths worldwide by 2050, overtaking that of cancer. Continuation of overuse and/or misuse of these crucial medicines will prevent future generations from reaping the benefits, as the pandemic of AMR spirals out of control. Aims: The primary aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial prescribing patterns in General Practices throughout Northern Ireland. A secondary aim was to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antimicrobial prescribing and consumption patterns in GP practices in Northern Ireland. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional quantitative study was designed to measure, analyse, and evaluate the antimicrobial prescribing patterns within GP practices in Northern Ireland, using open access Business Services Organisation (BSO) data. Results: A total of 3,168.78 kg of antibacterial drugs were prescribed in primary care throughout the duration of the study. Penicillins were the most prescribed class (59.79%), followed by tetracyclines (10.68%) and macrolides (9.53%). Access group antibiotics were the most frequently prescribed (79.35%), followed by Watch group antibiotics (20.64%), with Reserve group antibiotics equating to nearly 0% despite being prescribed. The Derry GP Federation prescribed and dispensed the greatest amount of antibiotics overall in Northern Ireland (10.90%). Despite there being no significant difference in antibiotic prescribing amongst GP federations prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic (unpaired t-test, p > 0.05), there were differences in prescribing of individual drug classes throughout this period. Conclusions: Despite meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) targets, GP practices within Northern Ireland must achieve more to further reduce antimicrobial consumption. Although antibiotic prescribing rates here are on the decline, there was no significant difference in prescribing amongst GP federations pre- and midst-COVID-19 pandemic, thus sufficient strategies such as increased communication between colleagues and supportive measures must be implemented within GP practices to enhance antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) across Northern Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biofilm is a natural form of a surface-attached community of bacterial cells bound to each other by an extracellular matrix. The challenge of biofilm-linked infections is the noteworthy resistance of bacterial cells to both host immune responses and available antibiotics. Moreover, the misuse of antibiotics led to the emergence and widespread occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among different pathogens, consequently, increasing the chronicity of biofilmassociated infections and threatening human lives. Natural products like plant-derived antibiofilm agents could offer more therapeutic efficiency with fewer adverse effects than conventional antimicrobials. Agro-food wastes are an abundant resource of antimicrobial phytoconstituents that can modulate different biofilm formation and development mechanisms. The accumulation of food biowaste in huge amounts results in adverse economic and environmental consequences. Therefore, valorization and recycling of this bio-waste have captured the attention and sparked the research interest of scientists all over the world. The main aim of the present review is to shed light on recent studies that delve into the antibiofilm potential of agro-food by-products as a sustainable resource of innovative and promising candidates. The latest articles from various databases such as the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier databases, and Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases were screened over the period from 2017 to 2023. The major keywords for searching were biofilm inhibition, agro-food waste, natural origins, environmental sustainability, quorum-sensing mechanisms, and industrial by-products. In conclusion, agro-food waste is considered a sustainable resource of several precious bioactive compounds that could offer new promising antibiofilm candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is the second most common gynecologic malignancy. It usually takes years for pre-cancerous changes to turn into cervical cancer. This pre-cancerous changes when detected is 100% treatable. Accurate cervical cancer staging is crucial for appropriate treatment selection and treatment planning. The greatest difficulties in the clinical staging are the estimation of tumor size, especially if the tumor is primarily endocervical in location. MRI has excellent soft-tissue contrast resolution, which exceeds that of CT and US. Consequently, MRI is significantly more valuable in the assessment of the size of the tumor, the depth of cervical invasion, and the local-regional extent of the disease. Aim of the Study: to highlight the role of transvaginal contrast enhanced MRI in the early detection& staging of cervical cancer to guide for accurate management. Conclusion: High-resolution MRI is accepted as optimal for evaluation of the main prognostic factors and selection of therapeutic strategy for cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]