Alex Sandro Rolland Souza

Perfil das admissões em uma unidade de terapia intensiva obstétrica de uma maternidade brasileira

OBJECTIVES: to describe a three-year experience with obstetric Intensive Care Units (ICU), a unit allowing obstetricians to continue to care for critically ill obstetrics patients. METHODS: the study evaluated all admissions (933) to the Obstetric ICU, in the Instituto Materno Infantil Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), from September 2002 to February 2005. Age, parity, diagnosis, admission time, diagnosis during ICU stay, associated complications, invasive procedures utilized, and final outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: hypertension (87%), obstetric hemorrhage (4.9%) and obstetric infection (2.1%) were the major cause of the admissions analyzed. Mean age was 25 years, 65% of the patients delivered by cesarean-section. Anemia was a very common finding (58.4%). Other diagnoses were renal insufficiency, thromboembolic disease, cardiac disease, acute pulmonary edema, sepsis, and hemorrhagic shock. Of the 814 patients with pregnancy-associated hypertension 65% had severe pre-ecclampsia, 16% mild pre-ecclampsia, and 11% ecclampsia. HELLP syndrome was found in 46%. Mechanical ventilation was necessary in 3.6% and hemotransfusion in 17% of the patients. Mean stay was five day (1 a 41) days. Death occurred in 2.4% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: the rate of deaths was low. An obstetric ICU managed by obstetricians could be a feasible way of dealing with maternal mortality.

Clonidine versus Captopril for Severe Postpartum Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Changes during the puerperium are still unclear, particularly in women with hypertension. The choice of antihypertensives, both to control very high blood pressure episodes and to keep blood pressure stable, also requires further elucidation. Currently, there are no clear data to guide the decision for the choice of postpartum antihypertensives. Captopril plays an important role in the treatment of very high blood pressure episodes and may be used postpartum. Clonidine has been used as an alternative in pregnant or postpartum women with contraindications to captopril, with satisfactory effect. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of clonidine compared to captopril for treating severe postpartum hypertension. Methods and findings A randomized, drug-controlled, triple-blind clinical trial evaluating postpartum women receiving captopril or clonidine. Inclusion criteria consisted of: women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥180 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥110 mmHg], requiring magnesium sulfate. Exclusion criteria were: heart disease, smoking, illicit drug use, contraindications to captopril, clonidine or oral medication, and having used captopril/clonidine previously. The primary outcome was the frequency of very high blood pressure episodes while in the obstetric intensive care unit. A total of 90 postpartum women met the study inclusion criteria, with 45 randomized to each group. There were fewer very high blood pressure episodes during hospitalization (2.1 ± 2.1 vs. 3.5 ± 4.7, p = 0.08), greater percentage reduction in SBP (14.0% ± 8.6% vs. 10.8% ± 8.8%, p = 0.08) and fewer women requiring sodium nitroprusside (2.3% vs. 13.3%; RR: 0.17; 95%CI: 0.02–1.39; p = 0.06) in the clonidine group compared to the captopril group; however, these differences were not significant. The groups were similar regarding daily mean SBP or DBP; however, on the third postpartum day, mean SBP was lower in the clonidine compared to the captopril group (151.9 ± 11.8 mmHg vs. 158.1 ± 13.6 mmHg, p = 0.02). Although not statistically significant, adverse reactions were more common in the captopril group (28.8%) compared to the clonidine group (18.6%). Conclusion Clonidine and captopril represent safe, effective treatments for severe postpartum hypertension. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov: www.clinicaltrial.gov, NCT01761916.

Fatores associados à indução do parto em gestantes com óbito fetal após a 20ª semana

OBJECTIVES: to determine the factors associated with induced delivery in pregnant women carrying a dead fetus. METHODS: a cross-sectional study with 258 pregnant women past the 20th week of gestation diagnosed by ultrasound as carrying a dead fetus, between January 2005 and December 2008, at the Hospital Barao de Lucena maternity hospital, in Recife, Brazil. Socio-demographic characteristics, causes and types of fetal death, prior obstetric data and characteristics of birth were the variables studied. The chi-square test, Fishers exact test and Students t test were used. The rate of prevalence was calculated and multiple logistic regression was carried out. The level of significance was 5%. RESULTS: birth was induced in 83 (32.2%) of the pregnant women. Following multivariate analysis, it was found that a gestational age of over 40 weeks (OR= 126.5; CI95%= 3.83-4,201.5) and late fetal death (OR= 6.86; CI95%= 2.55-18.47) were the risk factors that continued to be associated with induced delivery. Caesarian section (OR= 0.02; CI95%= 0.004-0.09), funiculopathy (OR= 0.12; CI95%= 0.02-0.68), having had one or more previous pregnancies (OR= 0.34; CI95%= 0.14-0.81) and one or more previous caesarian sections (OR= 0.16; IC95%= 0.04-0.71) were negatively associated with induced delivery. CONCLUSIONS: a gestational age of over 40 weeks and late fetal death are the risk factors that could be associated with induced delivery in pregnant women carrying a dead fetus.

16S rRNA analysis of diversity of manure microbial community in dairy farm environment.

Dairy farms generate a considerable amount of manure, which is applied in cropland as fertilizer. While the use of manure as fertilizer reduces the application of chemical fertilizers, the main concern with regards to manure application is microbial pollution. Manure is a reservoir of a broad range of microbial populations, including pathogens, which have potential to cause contamination and pose risks to public and animal health. Despite the widespread use of manure fertilizer, the change in microbial diversity of manure under various treatment processes is still not well-understood. We hypothesize that the microbial population of animal waste changes with manure handling used in a farm environment. Consequential microbial risk caused by animal manure may depend on manure handling. In this study, a reconnaissance effort for sampling dairy manure in California Central Valley followed by 16S rRNA analysis of content and diversity was undertaken to understand the microbiome of manure after various handling processes. The microbial community analysis of manure revealed that the population in liquid manure differs from that in solid manure. For instance, the bacteria of genus Sulfuriomonas were unique in liquid samples, while the bacteria of genus Thermos were observed only in solid samples. Bacteria of genus Clostridium were present in both solid and liquid samples. The population among liquid samples was comparable, as was the population among solid samples. These findings suggest that the mode of manure application (i.e., liquid versus solid) could have a potential impact on the microbiome of cropland receiving manure as fertilizers.

The Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency and Associated Factors in Pregnant Women Receiving Prenatal Care at a Reference Maternity Hospital in Northeastern Brazil

Vitamin A is essential for mother and child; however, vitamin A deficiency (VAD) remains a public health issue in various countries, affecting around 19 million pregnant women. In Brazil, the scarcity and inconsistency of data have prevented the prevalence and epidemiological status of VAD from being established. This study aimed to analyze vitamin A nutritional status in women receiving prenatal care at a reference center in northeastern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 676 women. Serum retinol was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Subclinical infection was detected by measuring C-reactive protein (CRP). The World Health Organization criteria were used in the prevalence analysis, VAD classification level, and CRP effect evaluation. The prevalence of VAD (serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L) was 6.2% (95% confidence interval 4.5–8.3). In the univariate analysis, the variables significantly associated with VAD (p < 0.05) were having <12 years of schooling, being in the third trimester of pregnancy, and anemia. In the final multivariate model, the variables that remained significantly associated (p < 0.05) were being in the third trimester of pregnancy and anemia. VAD constituted a mild public health problem in this sample of pregnant women and was associated with the third trimester of pregnancy and maternal anemia.

Cross‐sectional study of anal intraepithelial lesions in women with cervical neoplasia without HIV

To evaluate the prevalence of anal intraepithelial lesions and associated risk factors in women with cervical neoplasia.

Influence Of Number Of Pregnancies In Peak Expiratory Flow And Body Composition Of Pregnant Women

Objectives: to describe and compare the mean values of the body composition and the peak expiratory flow (PEF) in primigravidae and multigravidae and, to determine its correlation with obstetric, anthropometric and body composition variables. Method: it was performed a cross-sectional study of 120 healthy pregnant women at low risk, including 77 primigravidae and 43 multigravidae. The PEF was measured by spirometry and the body composition by multisegmental electrical impedance. The unpaired t test was used to compare the groups and the Pearson correlation test was used to determine the association between PEF and independent variables. A multiple linear regression was used to estimate the relationship between the dependent variable, the PEF and the independent variables. Results: the body composition variables in multigravidae women showed higher values compared to the primigravidae, being statistically significant, except for fat mass. In primigravidae, the PEF was correlated significantly with maternal age and height. In multigravidae, the PEF was correlated with maternal age, height, pre-pregnancy and current weight, total body water, extracellular water, fat mass, lean mass and fat-free mass. A Multiple linear regression analysis showed that, in primigravidae, height and maternal age were associated with PEF, being responsible for explaining 14.5% of its variability. The current weight and the maternal age explained 42.3% of peak flow variability in multigravidae. Conclusion: The PEF seemed to be influenced by the number of pregnancies. Changes were observed in relation to the body composition, as it was evidenced in correlation with the PEF in multigravidae women. Keywords: Pregnancy. Spirometry. Weight gain.

Is it necessary to repeat cervical cytology at the tie of a colposcopy

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate whether repeating Papanicolaou smear testing at the time of colposcopy improves agreement between cytology and histopathology in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. METHODS: this cross-sectional study included 397 women referred for colposcopic evaluation following an abnormal cervical smear test. The cytology was repeated at the time of the colposcopy using a conventional medium. The two cytology tests were compared with each other and with the histopathological findings obtained by colposcopy-directed biopsy. The 2001 Bethesda system and the WHO 1994 classification were used for reporting cytology and histology results. The kappa coefficient was used to determine the agreement between methods. RESULTS: the comparison between the initial cytology findings and cytology performed at the time of colposcopy revealed a kappa of 0.297 (95%CI: 0.235-0.359), indicating a fair degree of agreement. When the results of the initial cytology were compared with histopathology, a kappa of 0.261, considered to represent a fair degree of agreement, was obtained (95%CI: 0.181-0.340). A kappa of 0.408, considered to represent moderate agreement, was found when the second cytology findings were compared with the histopathology (95%CI: 0.332-0.485). CONCLUSIONS: the agreement between cytology and histology improved when cytology was repeated at the time of colposcopy, following an initial abnormal test.

Perfil dos microrganismos isolados no trato urinário após sondagem vesical em cirurgia ginecológica

OBJECTIVES: to determine the microorganisms mostfrequently found in urocultures after urinary catheterization and their antibiotic sensitivities in women undergoing elective gynecological surgery. METHODS: the study was carried out at theInstituto de Medicina Integral Professor FernandoFigueira, IMIP, in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, between January and May 2007. Urine cultures wereobtained from these patients on two occasions subsequent to the removal of the catheter: within the first 24h and 710 days later. RESULTS: urine samples were collected from 249 women. 23.6% (n=46) of the samples collected in the first 24h were found to have urine cultures and 11.1% (n=25) of those collected 710 days after removal of the catheter. No significant difference was observed regarding the microorganisms present in the uroculture, when comparing the two periods of sample collection. Klebsiella spp. was the most frequentmicroorganism found (first 24h=47.8% vs. 7/10 days=44.0%; p=0.76), followed by Escherichia coli, and other Gram negatives. The antibiotics, amicacine, cefepime, ciprofloxacin, meropenem andticarcilinclavulanate showed sensitivity equal to orgreater than 75% for the main microorganism isolated. CONCLUSIONS: Klebsiella spp. was the most frequent microorganism present in urocultures after urinary catheterization in women undergoing elective gynecological surgery. Ciprofloxacin was found to have a sensitivity of 95%.