Maria Clara Padoveze

Eficácia da esterilização de canetas de bisturi elétrico de uso único reprocessadas

No Brasil, a caneta de bisturi eletrico de uso unico (CBEUU) e um dos artigos mais comumente reutilizados. O presente estudo avaliou a eficacia da esterilizacao de CBEUUs reprocessadas, utilizando dois metodos de limpeza (manual ou automatizado), seguidos de um dos seguintes metodos de esterilizacao: plasma de peroxido de hidrogenio (PPH), oxido de etileno (OE) ou vapor de baixa temperatura de formaldeido (VBTF). Foram analisadas 360 CBEUUs apos sua primeira utilizacao. A probabilidade de falha de esterilizacao foi estimada considerando o numero de resultados positivos de cultura dos dispositivos estudados. A probabilidade geral de falha de esterilizacao das CBEUUs foi de 0,26. A menor probabilidade de falha foi obtida com o VBTF (0,01), seguida do OE (0,21) e do PPH (0,56). A limpeza automatizada obteve melhores resultados quando comparada a limpeza manual. O presente estudo demonstrou que a probabilidade de esterilizacao das CBEUUs reprocessadas e altamente dependente dos metodos de limpeza ou esterilizacao aplicados.In Brazil, single use diathermy pencils (SUDP) are among the most common reused devices. This study assesses the sterilization efficacy of reprocessing SUDP using two cleansing methods (manual or automated), followed by one of three of the low-temperature sterilization methods: Hydrogen Peroxide Plasma (HPP), Ethylene Oxide (ETO) or Low-Temperature Steam Formaldehyde (LTSF). The sample was composed of 360 SUDP after their first use. The probability of sterilization failure was estimated considering the number of positive microbiological results obtained by cultures of the studied devices. The overall sterilization failure probability for SUDP was 0.26. The sterilization method, which presented the lowest failure probability was the LTSF (0.01), followed by ETO (0.21) and HPP (0.56). Automated cleansing obtained a better result than manual cleansing. This trial demonstrated that the probability of sterilization in reprocessed SUDP is highly dependent on both the type of cleansing and the sterilization method applied.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in a dermatology unit

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in a dermatology unit. METHODS: This was a prospective and descriptive study. Over the course of 26 weeks, surveillance cultures were collected weekly from the anterior nares and skin of all patients hospitalized in a 20-bed dermatology unit of a tertiary-care hospital. Samples from healthcare workers (HCWS) were cultured at the beginning and end of the study. Colonized patients were put under contact precautions, and basic infection control measures were enforced. Staphylococcus aureus colonization pressure was determined monthly. Colonized and non-colonized patients were compared, and isolates were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility, SCCmec type, virulence factors, and type. RESULTS: Of the 142 patients evaluated, 64 (45%) were colonized by MRSA (39% hospital acquired; 25% community acquired; 36% indeterminate). Despite isolation precautions, hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus occurred in addition to the continuous entry of Staphylococcus aureus from the community. Colonization pressure increased from 13% to 59%, and pemphigus and other bullous diseases were associated with MRSA colonization. Eleven out of 71 HCWs (15%) were Staphylococcus aureus carriers, although only one worker carried a persistent clone. Of the hospital-acquired MRSA cases, 14/28 (50%) were SCCmec type IV (3 PFGE types), 13 were SCCmec type III (46%), and one had an indeterminate type. These types were also present among the community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus isolates. SSCmec type IV isolates were shown to be more susceptible than type III isolates. There were two cases of bloodstream infection, and the pvl and tst virulence genes were absent from all isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Dermatology patients were colonized by community- and hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus. Half of the nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus isolates were SCCmec type IV. Despite the identification of colonized patients and the subsequent contact precautions and room placement, Staphylococcus aureus colonization continued to occur, and colonization pressure increased. Pemphigus and other bullous diseases were associated with Staphylococcus aureus.

Surveillance Programme for Healthcare Associated Infections in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Implementation and the first three years' results

Governmental programmes should be developed to collect and analyse data on healthcare associated infections (HAIs). This study describes the healthcare setting and both the implementation and preliminary results of the Programme for Surveillance of Healthcare Associated Infections in the State of São Paulo (PSHAISP), Brazil, from 2004 to 2006. Characterisation of the healthcare settings was carried out using a national database. The PSHAISP was implemented using components for acute care hospitals (ACH) or long term care facilities (LTCF). The components for surveillance in ACHs were surgical unit, intensive care unit and high risk nursery. The infections included in the surveillance were surgical site infection in clean surgery, pneumonia, urinary tract infection and device-associated bloodstream infections. Regarding the LTCF component, pneumonia, scabies and gastroenteritis in all inpatients were reported. In the first year of the programme there were 457 participating healthcare settings, representing 51.1% of the hospitals registered in the national database. Data obtained in this study are the initial results and have already been used for education in both surveillance and the prevention of HAI. The results of the PSHAISP show that it is feasible to collect data from a large number of hospitals. This will assist the State of São Paulo in assessing the impact of interventions and in resource allocation.

Nasal MRSA colonization of AIDS patients cared for in a Brazilian university hospital

Weekly culture surveillance was conducted over a 2-year period to determine the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients cared for in a day-care unit and in an infectious diseases unit. Analysis of genomic DNA profiles showed a predominant pattern in both units.

Applying validated quality indicators to surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in a Brazilian hospital: Learning what should be learned

BACKGROUND Compliance with the best surgical antibiotic prophylaxis practice is usually low despite many published guidelines. OBJECTIVE This study investigated compliance with the Hospital Infection Control Committee guideline for antibiotic prophylaxis in a Brazilian hospital using quality indicators. METHODS A retrospective study was carried out from November 2009 to March 2010. Medical records from adult inpatients undergoing cardiac, neurologic, and orthopedic clean surgeries were included. The full compliance index was considered 100% when the antibiotic prophylaxis showed adequacy in all evaluated attributes. Analyses were conducted with 5% significance. RESULTS Medical records from 101 cardiac, 128 neurologic, and 519 orthopedic surgical patients were evaluated. The compliance index was 4.9%, and the compliance index according to specialty was 5.8%, 3.1%, and 3.0%, respectively, for orthopedic, neurologic, and cardiac surgeries. The attribute route of administration produced the best outcomes, whereas the attribute duration of antibiotic prophylaxis produced the worst. No association was identified between compliance to the attributes and patient characteristics. CONCLUSION This study showed a low level of adherence to Hospital Infection Control Committee guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis. This suggests that different strategies should be implemented to promote the best possible practice in the field of antibiotic prophylaxis with greater surgeon engagement.

Potencialidade do conceito de vulnerabilidade para a compreensão das doenças transmissíveis

This article presents the evolution and the contribution of the scientific production related to the concept of vulnerability and its potential to help studying transmissible diseases. It presents the concept of vulnerability and the production of knowledge in nursing, developed particularly by the CNPq Research Group Vulnerability, Adherence, and Health Needs. The purpose is to improve the understanding of health issues, based on this concept, and permit the proposition of coping interventions that surpass the individual domain, thus contemplating the organization of health care work and the social determination of the health-disease process.This article presents the evolution and the contribution of the scientific production related to the concept of vulnerability and its potential to help studying transmissible diseases. It presents the concept of vulnerability and the production of knowledge in nursing, developed particularly by the CNPq Research Group Vulnerability, Adherence, and Health Needs. The purpose is to improve the understanding of health issues, based on this concept, and permit the proposition of coping interventions that surpass the individual domain, thus contemplating the organization of health care work and the social determination of the health-disease process.

Healthcare-associated infections: challenges to public health in Brazil

This study presents a critical evaluation of the scientific literature related to this subject, aiming to assess the policies and administrative issues regarding the prevention and magnitude of healthcare-associated infections and discuss the challenges for their prevention in Brazil. The topics discussed included historical and administrative issues, challenges imposed by the characteristics of the healthcare system and the territorial dimension, laboratorial support limitations, costs, institutional culture, professional qualification, and patient engagement. It is urgent to hold a nationwide discussion among government representatives, institutions, and healthcare workers and users to overcome these challenges.

Characterization of epidemiological surveillance systems for healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in the world and challenges for Brazil

Surveillance systems for healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are essential for planning actions in prevention and control. Important models have been deployed in recent decades in different countries. This study aims to present the historical and operational characteristics of these systems and discuss the challenges for Brazil. Various models around the world have drawn on the experience of the United States, which pioneered this process. In Brazil, several initiatives have been launched, but the country still lacks a full national information system on HAI, thus indicating the need to promote action strategies, strengthen the role of States in communication between the Federal and local levels, pursue a national plan to organize surveillance teams with the necessary technological infrastructure, besides updating the relevant legislation for dealing with these challenges. Such measures are essential in the Brazilian context for the unified surveillance of HAI, aimed at healthcare safety and quality.A formacao de sistemas de vigilância de infeccoes relacionadas a assistencia a saude (IRAS) e medida essencial para o planejamento de acoes de prevencao e controle. No mundo, importantes modelos estao sendo implantados nas ultimas decadas. Este estudo busca apresentar os aspectos historicos e operacionais desses sistemas, discutindo os desafios para o Brasil. Os modelos internacionais se espelham no exemplo americano, pioneiro nesse processo. No Brasil, diversas iniciativas foram e estao sendo estabelecidas, entretanto, nao temos um pleno sistema nacional de informacao sobre IRAS, o que aponta a necessidade de reconhecer estrategias em vigencia, fortalecendo o Estado como elo de comunicacao; buscando um plano nacional para a formacao de equipes de vigilância com aparato tecnologico necessario, e discutindo a atualizacao das legislacoes que ja nao contemplam os desafios atuais de tais ocorrencias. Essas sao medidas essenciais no contexto brasileiro para a vigilância unificada de IRAS, almejando seguranca e qualidade nos cuidados em saude.

Structure for prevention of health care–associated infections in Brazilian hospitals: A countrywide study

BACKGROUND Minimal structure is required for effective prevention of health care-associated infection (HAI). The objective of this study was to evaluate the structure for prevention of HAI in a sample of Brazilian hospitals. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study from hospitals in 5 Brazilian regions (n = 153; total beds: 13,983) classified according to the number of beds; 11 university hospitals were used as reference for comparison. Trained nurses carried out the evaluation by using structured forms previously validated. The evaluation of conformity index (CI) included elements of structure of the Health Care-Associated Prevention and Control Committee (HAIPCC), hand hygiene, sterilization, and laboratory of microbiology. RESULTS The median CI for the HAIPCC varied from 0.55-0.94 among hospital categories. Hospitals with >200 beds had the worst ratio of beds to sinks (3.9; P < .001). Regarding alcoholic product for handrubbing, the worst ratio of beds to dispensers was found in hospitals with <50 beds (6.4) compared with reference hospitals (3.3; P < .001). The CI for sterilization services showed huge variation ranging from 0.0-1.00. Reference hospitals were more likely to have their own laboratory of microbiology than other hospitals. CONCLUSION This study highlights the need for public health strategies aiming to improve the structure for HAI prevention in Brazilian hospitals.

The International Classification of Public Health Nursing Practices - CIPESC®: a pedagogical tool for epidemiological studies

The CIPESC® is a tool that informs the work of nurses in Public Health and assists in prioritizing their care in practice, management and research. It is also a powerful pedagogical instrument for the qualification of nurses within the Brazilian healthcare system. In the teaching of infectious diseases, using the CIPESC® assists in analyzing the interventions by encouraging clinical and epidemiological thinking regarding the health-illness process. With the purpose in mind of developing resources for teaching undergraduate nursing students and encouraging reflection regarding the process of nursing work, this article presents an experimental application of CIPESC®, using meningococcal meningitis as an example.The CIPESC® is a tool that informs the work of nurses in Public Health and assists in prioritizing their care in practice, management and research. It is also a powerful pedagogical instrument for the qualification of nurses within the Brazilian healthcare system. In the teaching of infectious diseases, using the CIPESC® assists in analyzing the interventions by encouraging clinical and epidemiological thinking regarding the health-illness process. With the purpose in mind of developing resources for teaching undergraduate nursing students and encouraging reflection regarding the process of nursing work, this article presents an experimental application of CIPESC®, using meningococcal meningitis as an example.