Eunice Beatriz Martin Chaves

Prevalence of abnormal anal cytology in women infected with HIV

Anal cancer is a rare disease. Nevertheless, it may be a reason for concern among groups in which its incidence is increasing: those who engage in anoreceptive intercourse, promiscuous persons, and those with sexually transmitted infections (HPV and HIV). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of abnormal anal cytology in women infected with HIV seen at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. A cross‐sectional design was used. Anal smear screening was offered to all women infected with HIV seen at the hospitals outpatient sexually transmitted infections clinic from March 2006 to March 2008. A total of 184 patients were thus enrolled. Only patients who gave written consent were included in the study. The prevalence of abnormal anal cytology was 14.1% (26 patients). Twenty‐two patients presented atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, and four exhibited low‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia. Initially, abnormal anal cytology was significantly associated with age, number of pregnancies, smoking, abnormal cervical cytology, CD4+ < 200 cells/mm3 and hepatitis C co‐infection. After adjustment, only CD4+ < 200 cells/mm3 and smoking were found to increase the risk of altered anal cytology. The anal Pap method described is simple and can be used for screening in cohorts of HIV‐positive women who are at risk of developing anal carcinoma, mainly those with CD4+ counts <200 cells/mm3 and smokers. J. Med. Virol. 84:1335–1339, 2012.

Analysis of the presence of organic matter (ATP) in mobile devices of healthcare workers in hospitals

We report the result of an awareness campaign about the importance of hygiene of hands after using different devices used in assistance to patients, such as tablets, notebooks, mobile phones, identification, watches, cameras, showing the level of contamination found after technical using detection of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) via bioluminescence, which enables a quantitative assessment ready and easy to implement. ATP molecules found in all living cells react with the enzyme complex generating light representing the presence of organic matter in such objects. Keywords: Nosocomial infection; fomites; hand hygiene

Factors that affect mother-to-child HIV transmission at a university hospital in southern Brazil

Objective: To evaluate factors that may interfere in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Method: A historical cohort study with a sample of 299 HIV-infected mothers and their newborns who delivered at the Obstetric Center of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, from January 2010 to December 2014. Results: Of the 299 newborns of HIV-infected mothers, 3.7% (n = 11) were infected. Of those, 90.9% (n = 10) were born by cesarean section; 90.9% (n = 10) had ≥ 37 weeks; 54.6% (n = 6) received zidovudine starting within the first 4 hours after birth; and 45.4% (n = 5) received zidovudine and nevirapine. Four women whose newborns were infected with HIV had syphilis during pregnancy (36.4%). Poor adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (p < 0.003), viral load ≥ 1000 copies/mL or ignored in the third trimester (p < 0.000), and CD4 count < 500 cells/mm 3 in the third trimester (p < 0.046) were significantly associated with an increased risk of MTCT. Conclusion: Lack of control of risk factors may contribute to unfavorable rates of MTCT of HIV. Keywords : Risk factors; infectious disease transmission; vertical transmission; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome