Valéria Gomes Momenté

Adverse drug reaction monitoring: support for pharmacovigilance at a tertiary care hospital in Northern Brazil.

BackgroundAdverse drug reactions (ADRs) are recognised as a common cause of hospital admissions, and they constitute a significant economic burden for hospitals. Hospital-based ADR monitoring and reporting programmes aim to identify and quantify the risks associated with the use of drugs provided in a hospital setting. This information may be useful for identifying and minimising preventable ADRs and may enhance the ability of prescribers to manage ADRs more effectively. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate ADRs that occurred during inpatient stays at the Hospital Geral de Palmas (HGP) in Tocantins, Brazil, and to facilitate the development of a pharmacovigilance service.MethodsA prospective study was conducted at HGP over a period of 8 months, from January 2009 to August 2009. This observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study was based on an analysis of medical records. Several parameters were utilised in the data evaluation, including patient demographics, drug and reaction characteristics, and reaction outcomes. The reaction severity and predisposing factors were also assessed.ResultsThe overall incidence of ADRs in the patient population was 3.1%, and gender was not found to be a risk factor. The highest ADR rate (75.8%) was found in the adult age group 15 to 50 years, and the lowest ADR rate was found in children aged 3 to 13 years (7.4%). Because of the high frequency of ADRs in orthopaedic (25%), general medicine (22%), and oncology (16%) patients, improved control of the drugs used in these specialties is required. Additionally, the nurse team (52.7%) registered the most ADRs in medical records, most likely due to the job responsibilities of nurses. As expected, the most noticeable ADRs occurred in skin tissues, with such ADRs are more obvious to medical staff, with rashes being the most common reactions. Metamizole, tramadol, and vancomycin were responsible for 21, 11.6, and 8.4% of ADRs, respectively. The majority of ADRs had moderate severity (58.9%), thus requiring intervention. Type A reactions were the most common (82.1%). At least one predisposing factor was present in 79.9% of the reports examined, and the most common predisposing factor was polypharmacy.ConclusionsThe results obtained will contribute to the development of strategies for the pharmacovigilance service at HGP and other hospitals throughout the country, which will improve the quality of ADR reporting and ensure safer drug use in Brazilian hospitals.

Germinação de sementes e desenvolvimento de plântulas de moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) em função do peso da semente e do tipo de substrato

Moringa oleifera Lam. e uma especie arborea originaria do noroeste indiano, cultivada gracas ao seu valor alimentar, medicinal, industrial e no tratamento de agua para o consumo humano. Os efeitos do peso de sementes e do substrato na germinacao e desenvolvimento das plântulas foram determinados, sob condicoes de casa de vegetacao (sombrite 50% com nebulizacao intermitente) em Fortaleza (CE), de 29/11 a 14/12/02. Os tratamentos constaram de arranjo fatorial 3x3 referente a tres categorias de semente: pesadas (272,41 g/1000 sementes), medias (218,88 g/1000 sementes) e leves (177,07 g/1000 sementes); e tres substratos: vermiculita; Plantmax® e uma mistura a base de solo esterilizado (S), humus de minhoca (H) e po de coco lavado (PC), na proporcao de 2:1:1, dispostos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro repeticoes (24 sementes/repeticao). Efetuou-se a semeadura das tres classes de pesos de sementes em bandejas de isopor de 72 celulas contendo os substratos, avaliando-se a percentagem, velocidade e tempo medio de germinacao, altura da plântula, massa seca da parte aerea e massa seca total. As sementes pesadas e medias apresentaram maior percentagem e velocidade de germinacao do que as leves; as sementes pesadas proporcionaram plântulas mais vigorosas; no substrato Plantmax® e na mistura (S+H+PC) a percentagem e a velocidade de germinacao foi superior a vermiculita; e as plântulas desenvolveram-se melhor no substrato Plantmax®.To compensate the shortage of information on the influence of seed weight and substrate over the germination and seedling development of Moringa oleifera an experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions (50% of natural light with intermittent nebulization) in Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil. The treatments consisted of a 3x3 factorial arrangement [three seed weights: heavy (272.41 g/1000 seeds); medium (218.88 g/1000 seeds) and light (177.07 g/1000 seeds) and three substrates: vermiculite; Plantmax® and a v/v 2:1:1 mixture based on sterilized soil (S) plus earthworm humus (H) and washed powdered coconut peels (PCP), respectively] disposed on an entirely randomized design with four repetitions (24 seeds/repetition). The three seed classes were sown in isopor trays with 72 cells containing the respective substrate. The percentage, rate and average time for germination; height and dry weight of total and aerial parts of the seedling were measured. Heavy and medium seeds presented a higher percentage and rate of germination than light seeds; heavy seeds yielded more vigorous seedlings; the commercial substrate Plantmax® and the mixture (S+H+PCP) allowed a higher percentage and germination rate than vermiculite; the seedlings showed a better development on the commercial substrate Plantmax®.

Reaction of melon genotypes to the gummy stem blight and the downy mildew

The gummy stem blight (Didymella bryoniae) and the downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) are two foremost melon (Cucumis melo) diseases, considering their effects on yield and fruit quality. Despite the importance of such diseases, relatively few studies have been done so far on the identification of resistance sources to D. bryoniae and P. cubensis in Brazil. This work aimed at evaluating the resistance of commercial melon genotypes to the gummy stem blight and the downy mildew. Firstly, the most aggressive and representative D. bryoniae isolate was selected. Subsequently, the resistance of 86 melon genotypes to stem infection was studied upon greenhouse conditions by inoculating with the previously selected isolate. Afterwards, the resistance to mildew and leaf infection by D. bryoniae of 28 melon genotypes was evaluated in the field, under natural infection. In the greenhouse, all 86 melon genotypes were infected and showed stem infection symptoms caused by D. bryoniae four days after inoculation. Nevertheless, a significant variation on the resistance levels of the melon genotypes was found. Under field conditions and natural inoculation, genotypes Taslaki and Sary Juliabi were the most susceptible to leaf infection by D. bryoniae, significantly differing from the other genotypes. The lowest levels of susceptibility were identified in genotypes Perlita Busle S1, Valenciano Eliptico, Glaver, MR1, and 2526. All genotypes were susceptible to the downy mildew, albeit differing in susceptibility levels.