Surgical Site Infection in a University Hospital in Northeast Brazil

We examined prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) in a tertiary teaching hospital in northeast Brazil, from January 1994 to December 2003. The survey included 5,742 patients subjected to thoracic, urologic, vascular and general surgery. The criteria for diagnosing SSI were those of the Centers for Disease Control, USA, and the variables of the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance risk index were used. Data analysis revealed that anesthetic risk scores, wound class and duration of surgery were significantly associated with SSI. A total of 296 SSIs were detected among the 5,742 patients (5.1%). The overall incidence of SSI was 8.8% in 1994; it decreased to 3.3% in 2003. In conclusion, the use of educational strategies, based on guidelines for SSI prevention reduced SSI incidence. Appropriate management of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative incision care, and a surveillance system based on international criteria, were useful in reducing SSI rates in our hospital

Pain assessment in surgical patients with impaired cognition

Pain is considered the 5th vital sign and its measurement/assessment and records are required and must be systematic. Ineffective pain management involves complications in clinical status of patients, longer hospitalization times and higher costs with health. In the surgical patient with impaired cognition, hetero measurements should be made, based on behavioural and physiological indicators. We used to determine the efficacy and efficiency of the Observer Scale, the Abbey Pain Scale and Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD). Our study is an applied, non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive and analytical research. The data collection instrument consisted of patients’ sociodemographic and clinical data, the Observer Scale, the Abbey Pain Scale (Rodrigues, 2013) and PAINAD (Batalha et al., 2012). We assessed pain at an early phase and 45 minutes after an intervention for its relief. The sample is non-probabilistic for convenience, consisting of 76 surgical patients with impaired cognition, admitted to the surgery services of a central hospital, aged between 38 and 96 years. There was a positive correlation between the results of the three scales, most evident in the initial evaluation. Pain intensity in the same patient is higher when assessed with PAINAD (OM = 2.16) and lower when assessed with the Observer Scale (OM = 1.78). The most effective and efficient scale is PAINAD. Due to the small sample size, we suggest confirmatory studies so that the results can be generalized.

Pressure ulcer management in Oman: nurses’ knowledge and views

Background: Pressure ulcers (PrUs) have a significant impact on health system expenditure and patient’s quality of life. It is a global problem. Many studies were undertaken in regard to PrU prevention and management. In Oman, no studies have been conducted to investigate nurses’ knowledge on prevention and management of PrUs. The purpose of this descriptive sequential explanatory mixed-method study was to explore the nurses’ level of knowledge in relation to prevention and management of PrUs in Oman. Methods: A mixed method design was used and the study was conducted over two Phases. In Phase I, a questionnaire was developed to explore nurses’ knowledge on PrU, policy, and resources. The main section of the questionnaire was the Pieper-Zulkowski Pressure Ulcer knowledge test (PZ-PUKT) which tests the knowledge on PrU. Another two sections were developed including questions about wound policy and resources available for PrU prevention and management in Oman. The questionnaire was distributed to nurses who were working in surgical, medical, orthopaedic, CCU, and ICU wards/units in seven hospitals. In Phase II study, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 of the questionnaire respondents. Interviews took approximately 30 minutes, were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analysed using the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice (KAP) model as the a priori framework. Results: In Phase I, 478 questionnaires were analysed. The knowledge test results showed the overall mean percent score for correctly answered questions was 51% suggesting a low level of knowledge. There was a significant relationship between nurses’ knowledge and age (P=0.001) and between knowledge and years of experience (P=0.001) with knowledge increasing with age and years of experience. In Phase II, four themes were identified from the interviews: knowledge, attitude, and practice (framework themes) and perception of role. Findings indicated positive and negative attitudes towards the care of PrUs. Some nurses stated feeling rewarded when they see wounds improving while others said they could not work with patients independently because they lacked the knowledge and the skills needed. There was variation in the management of PrU between hospitals. Both studies indicated that the wound management policy did not include enough information to guide nurses. Conclusion: Overall the nurses’ level of knowledge on PrU was relatively low. Most nurses were not familiar with wound management policy or different PrU prevention and management strategies. Nurses are aware of the risk of PrUs and try their best to manage them with the available resources however more training is required.

Defining fluid restriction in the management of infants following cardiac surgery and understanding the subsequent impact on nutrient delivery and growth outcomes

Adequacy of nutritional intake during the postoperative period, as measured by a change in weight-for-age z-scores from surgery to the time of discharge, was evaluated in infants (n = 58) diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and admitted for surgical intervention at Miami Children’s Hospital using a prospective observational study design. Parental consent was obtained for all infants who participated in the study. ^ Forty patients had a weight available at hospital discharge. The mean preoperative weight-for-age z-score was -1.3 ±1.43 and the mean weight-for-age z-score at hospital discharge was -1.89 ±1.35 with a mean difference of 0.58 ±0.5 (P = 0.2).^ Nutritional intake during the postoperative period was inadequate based on a decrease in weight-for-age z-scores from the time of surgery until discharged home. Our findings suggested that limited fluid volume for nutrition likely contributes to suboptimal nutritional delivery during the postoperative period; however, inadequate nutrition prescription may also be an important contributing factor. Development of a nutrition protocol for initiation and advancement of nutrition support may reduce the delay in achieving patient’s nutritional goals and may attenuate the observed decrease in z-scores during the postoperative period.^

Effects Of Therapeutic Approach On The Neonatal Evolution Of Very Low Birth Weight Infants With Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

To analyze the effects of treatment approach on the outcomes of newborns (birth weight [BW] < 1,000 g) with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), from the Brazilian Neonatal Research Network (BNRN) on: death, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH III/IV), retinopathy of prematurity requiring surgical (ROPsur), necrotizing enterocolitis requiring surgery (NECsur), and death/BPD. This was a multicentric, cohort study, retrospective data collection, including newborns (BW < 1000 g) with gestational age (GA) < 33 weeks and echocardiographic diagnosis of PDA, from 16 neonatal units of the BNRN from January 1, 2010 to Dec 31, 2011. Newborns who died or were transferred until the third day of life, and those with presence of congenital malformation or infection were excluded. Groups: G1 - conservative approach (without treatment), G2 - pharmacologic (indomethacin or ibuprofen), G3 - surgical ligation (independent of previous treatment). Factors analyzed: antenatal corticosteroid, cesarean section, BW, GA, 5 min. Apgar score < 4, male gender, Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension (SNAPPE II), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), late sepsis (LS), mechanical ventilation (MV), surfactant (< 2 h of life), and time of MV. death, O2 dependence at 36 weeks (BPD36wks), IVH III/IV, ROPsur, NECsur, and death/BPD36wks. Student's t-test, chi-squared test, or Fisher's exact test; Odds ratio (95% CI); logistic binary regression and backward stepwise multiple regression. Software: MedCalc (Medical Calculator) software, version 12.1.4.0. p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. 1,097 newborns were selected and 494 newborns were included: G1 - 187 (37.8%), G2 - 205 (41.5%), and G3 - 102 (20.6%). The highest mortality was observed in G1 (51.3%) and the lowest in G3 (14.7%). The highest frequencies of BPD36wks (70.6%) and ROPsur were observed in G3 (23.5%). The lowest occurrence of death/BPD36wks occurred in G2 (58.0%). Pharmacological (OR 0.29; 95% CI: 0.14-0.62) and conservative (OR 0.34; 95% CI: 0.14-0.79) treatments were protective for the outcome death/BPD36wks. The conservative approach of PDA was associated to high mortality, the surgical approach to the occurrence of BPD36wks and ROPsur, and the pharmacological treatment was protective for the outcome death/BPD36wks.

A Decade Of Malaria During Pregnancy In Brazil: What Has Been Done Concerning Prevention And Management.

In Brazil, malaria remains a disease of major epidemiological importance because of the high number of cases in the Amazonian Region. Plasmodium spp infections during pregnancy are a significant public health problem with substantial risks for the pregnant woman, the foetus and the newborn child. In Brazil, the control of malaria during pregnancy is primarily achieved by prompt and effective treatment of the acute episodes. Thus, to assure rapid diagnosis and treatment for pregnant women with malaria, one of the recommended strategy for low transmission areas by World Health Organization and as part of a strategy by the Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Control Program has focused on integrative measures with woman and reproductive health. Here, we discuss the approach for the prevention and management of malaria during pregnancy in Brazil over the last 10 years (2003-2012) using morbidity data from Malaria Health Information System. Improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare and education and the consolidation of prevention programmes will be challenges in the control of malaria during pregnancy in the next decade.

Surgical Site Infections In Women And Their Association With Clinical Conditions.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) can affect body tissues, cavities, or organs manipulated in surgery and constitute 14% to 16% of all infections. This study aimed to determine the incidence of SSIs in women following their discharge from a gynecology outpatient clinic, to survey different types of SSIs among women, and to verify the association of SSIs with comorbidities and clinical conditions. Data were collected via analytical observation with a cross-sectional design, and the study was conducted in 1,026 women who underwent gynecological surgery in a teaching hospital in the municipality of Teresina, in the northeast Brazilian State of Piauí, from June 2011 to March 2013. The incidence of SSIs after discharge was 5.8% among the women in the outpatient clinic. The most prevalent surgery among the patients was hysterectomy, while the most prevalent type of SSI was superficial incisional. Comorbidities in women with SSIs included cancer, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Surveillance of SSIs during the post-discharge period is critical for infection prevention and control. It is worth reflecting on the planning of surgical procedures for patients who have risk factors for the development of SSIs.

Management Of Severe Thoracic Impalement Trauma Against Two-wheeled Horse Carriage: A Case Report And Literature Review.

Thoracic injuries in general are of great importance due to their high incidence and high mortality. Thoracic impalement injuries are rare but severe due to the combination of cause, effect and result. This study's primary objective is to report the case of a young man who was impaled by a two-wheeled horse carriage shaft while crashing his motorcycle in a rural zone. An EMT-B ferry was called at the crash scene and a conscious patient was found, sustaining a severe impalement injury to the left hemithorax, suspended over the floor by the axial skeleton with the carriage shaft coming across his left chest. As a secondary objective, a literature review of thoracic impalement injuries is performed. Cases of thoracic impalement injury require unique and individualized care based on injury severity and affected organs. Reported protocols for managing impalement injuries are entirely anecdotal, with no uniformity on impaled patient's approach and management. In penetrating trauma, it is essential not to remove the impaled object, so that possible vascular lesions remain buffered by the object, avoiding major bleeding and exsanguination haemorrhage. Severed impaled thoracic patients should be transferred to a specialist centre for trauma care, as these lesions typically require complex multidisciplinary treatment. High-energy thoracic impalement injuries are rare and hold a high mortality rate, due to the complexity of trauma and associated injuries such as thoracic wall and lung lesions. Modern medicine still seems limited in cases of such seriousness, not always with satisfactory results.

Diagnosis, Treatment, And Follow-up Of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Recommendations By The Thyroid Department Of The Brazilian Society Of Endocrinology And Metabolism.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) originates in the thyroid parafollicular cells and represents 3-4% of the malignant neoplasms that affect this gland. Approximately 25% of these cases are hereditary due to activating mutations in the REarranged during Transfection (RET) proto-oncogene. The course of MTC is indolent, and survival rates depend on the tumor stage at diagnosis. The present article describes clinical evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of MTC. The aim of the consensus described herein, which was elaborated by Brazilian experts and sponsored by the Thyroid Department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, was to discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of individuals with MTC in accordance with the latest evidence reported in the literature. After clinical questions were elaborated, the available literature was initially surveyed for evidence in the MedLine-PubMed database, followed by the Embase and Scientific Electronic Library Online/Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature (SciELO/Lilacs) databases. The strength of evidence was assessed according to the Oxford classification of evidence levels, which is based on study design, and the best evidence available for each question was selected. Eleven questions corresponded to MTC diagnosis, 8 corresponded to its surgical treatment, and 13 corresponded to follow-up, for a total of 32 recommendations. The present article discusses the clinical and molecular diagnosis, initial surgical treatment, and postoperative management of MTC, as well as the therapeutic options for metastatic disease. MTC should be suspected in individuals who present with thyroid nodules and family histories of MTC, associations with pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism, and/or typical phenotypic characteristics such as ganglioneuromatosis and Marfanoid habitus. Fine-needle nodule aspiration, serum calcitonin measurements, and anatomical-pathological examinations are useful for diagnostic confirmation. Surgery represents the only curative therapeutic strategy. The therapeutic options for metastatic disease remain limited and are restricted to disease control. Judicious postoperative assessments that focus on the identification of residual or recurrent disease are of paramount importance when defining the follow-up and later therapeutic management strategies.

Key Issues In Inhibitor Management In Patients With Haemophilia.

12 Suppl 1

[consensus Of The Brazilian Society Of Rheumatology For The Diagnosis, Management And Treatment Of Lupus Nephritis].

To develop recommendations for the diagnosis, management and treatment of lupus nephritis in Brazil. Extensive literature review with a selection of papers based on the strength of scientific evidence and opinion of the Commission on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus members, Brazilian Society of Rheumatology. 1) Renal biopsy should be performed whenever possible and if this procedure is indicated; and, when the procedure is not possible, the treatment should be guided with the inference of histologic class. 2) Ideally, measures and precautions should be implemented before starting treatment, with emphasis on attention to the risk of infection. 3) Risks and benefits of treatment should be shared with the patient and his/her family. 4) The use of hydroxychloroquine (preferably) or chloroquine diphosphate is recommended for all patients (unless contraindicated) during induction and maintenance phases. 5) The evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment should be made with objective criteria of response (complete remission/partial remission/refractoriness). 6) ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs are recommended as antiproteinuric agents for all patients (unless contraindicated). 7) The identification of clinical and/or laboratory signs suggestive of proliferative or membranous glomerulonephritis should indicate an immediate implementation of specific therapy, including steroids and an immunosuppressive agent, even though histological confirmation is not possible. 8) Immunosuppressives must be used during at least 36 months, but these medications can be kept for longer periods. Its discontinuation should only be done when the patient achieve and maintain a sustained and complete remission. 9) Lupus nephritis should be considered as refractory when a full or partial remission is not achieved after 12 months of an appropriate treatment, when a new renal biopsy should be considered to assist in identifying the cause of refractoriness and in the therapeutic decision.

Surgical Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes In Subjects With Mild Obesity: Mechanisms Underlying Metabolic Improvements.

This study aims to assess the clinical and physiological effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) on type 2 diabetes associated with mild obesity (body mass index [BMI] 30-34.9 kg/m(2)) over 24 months postsurgery. In this prospective trial, 36 mildly obese subjects (19 males) with type 2 diabetes using oral antidiabetic drugs with (n = 24) or without insulin (n = 12) underwent RYGBP. Follow-up was conducted at baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postsurgery. The following endpoints were considered: changes in HbA1c, fasting glucose and insulin, antidiabetic therapy, BMI, oral glucose insulin sensitivity [OGIS, from meal tolerance test (MTT)], beta-cell secretory function [ΔCP(0-30)/ΔGlu(0-30) (ΔC-peptide/Δglucose ratio, MTT 0-30 min), disposition index (DI = OGIS [Symbol: see text] ΔCP(0-30)/ΔGlu(0-30)], glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) [incremental area under the curve (AUCi)], adiponectin, C-reactive protein, and lipids. All subjects achieved normal-to-overweight BMI after 3 months. Over 24 months, 31/36 (86 %) subjects presented HbA1c <7 % [complete and partial remission of diabetes in 9/36 (22 %) and 1/36 (3 %), respectively]. Since 3 months postsurgery, improvements were observed in OGIS [290 (174) to 373 (77) ml/min/m(2), P = 0.009], ΔCP(0-30)/ΔGlu(0-30) [0.24 (0.19) to 0.52 (0.34) ng/mg, P = 0.001], DI [7.16 (8.53) to 19.8 (15.4) (ng/mg) (ml/min/m(2)), P = 0.001], GLP-1 AUCi [0.56 (0.64) to 3.97 (3.86) ng/dl [Symbol: see text] 10 min [Symbol: see text] 103, P = 0.000], and GIP AUCi [30.2 (12.6) to 27.0 (20.2) ng/dl [Symbol: see text] 10 min [Symbol: see text] 103, P = 0.004]. At baseline and after 12 months, subjects with diabetes nonremission had longer diabetes duration, higher HbA1c, lower beta-cell secretory function, and higher first 30-min GIP AUCi, compared with those with remission. RYGBP improves the glucose metabolism in subjects with type 2 diabetes and mild obesity. This effect is associated with improvement of insulin sensitivity, beta-cell secretory function, and incretin secretion.

Surgical Treatment Of Microinvasive Cervical Cancer: Analysis Of Pathologic Features With Implications On Radicality.

To evaluate pathologic features with implications on surgical radicality in women treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for cervical cancer stage IA1 with lymph vascular space invasion (LVSI) and stage IA2 by correlating findings in conization and hysterectomy specimens. Women with cervical cancer stage IA1 with LVSI and stage IA2 diagnosed by loop electrosurgical excisional procedure or cold knife conization were treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy from January 1999 to December 2011 in 2 institutions. Fifty patients were enrolled: 40 with stage IA2 and 10 with stage IA1 with LVSI. Median age was 43 (30-67) years. All patients underwent cervical conization for diagnosis (45 loop electrosurgical excisional procedure, 5 cold knife). Lymph vascular space invasion was detected in 15 patients (30%). Two patients had positive pelvic nodes. No parametrial involvement was detected in the entire cohort. Positive margins were present in 35 patients, and residual disease was detected in 22 patients (44%). Positive margins predicted residual disease at radical hysterectomy (P = 0.02). Medium follow-up time was 51 months. One patient developed a pelvic recurrence, and there were no disease-related deaths. Patients with positive margins in cone biopsy specimens have an increased risk of residual disease at radical hysterectomy and require careful evaluation before conservative surgery. Pelvic lymph node evaluation is essential because lymph node metastasis may occur even in early stages. The lack of parametrial invasion in this study reinforces the knowledge that the select group of patients with microinvasive cervical carcinoma stages IA1 LVSI and stage IA2 have a very low risk of parametrial infiltration. Less radical surgery can be carefully considered for these patients.

Dysphagia Progression And Swallowing Management In Parkinson's Disease: An Observational Study.

Dysphagia is relatively common in individuals with neurological disorders. To describe the swallowing management and investigate associated factors with swallowing in a case series of patients with Parkinson's disease. It is a long-term study with 24 patients. The patients were observed in a five-year period (2006-2011). They underwent Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing, Functional Oral Intake Scale and therapeutic intervention every three months. In the therapeutic intervention they received orientation about exercises to improve swallowing. The Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher's tests were used. The period of time for improvement or worsening of swallowing was described by Kaplan-Meier analysis. During the follow-up, ten patients improved, five stayed the same and nine worsened their swallowing functionality. The median time for improvement was ten months. Prior to the worsening there was a median time of 33 months of follow-up. There was no associated factor with improvement or worsening of swallowing. The maneuvers frequently indicated in therapeutic intervention were: chin-tuck, bolus consistency, bolus effect, strengthening-tongue, multiple swallows and vocal exercises. The swallowing management was characterized by swallowing assessment every three months with indication of compensatory and rehabilitation maneuvers, aiming to maintain the oral feeding without risks. There was no associated factor with swallowing functionality in this case series.

Desmoid tumor in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis

CONTEXT: Desmoid tumors constitute one of the most important extraintestinal manifestations of familial adenomatous polyposis. The development of desmoids is responsible for increasing morbidity and mortality rates in cases of familial adenomatous polyposis. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the occurrence of desmoid tumors in familial adenomatous polyposis cases following prophylactic colectomy and to present patient outcome. METHODS: Between 1984 and 2008, 68 patients underwent colectomy for familial adenomatous polyposis at the School of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, University of Campinas, SP, Brazil. Desmoid tumors were found in nine (13.2%) of these patients, who were studied retrospectively by consulting their medical charts with respect to clinical and surgical data. RESULTS: Of nine patients, seven (77.8%) were submitted to laparotomy for tumor resection. Median age at the time of surgery was 33.9 years (range 22-51 years). Desmoid tumors were found in the abdominal wall in 3/9 cases (33.3%) and in an intra-abdominal site in the remaining six cases (66.7%). Median time elapsed between ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and diagnosis of desmoid tumor was 37.5 months (range 14-60 months), while the median time between colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis and diagnosis was 63.7 months (range 25-116 months). In 6/9 (66.7%) patients with desmoid tumors, the disease was either under control or there was no evidence of tumor recurrence at a follow-up visit made a mean of 63.1 months later (range 12-240 months). CONCLUSIONS: Desmoid tumors were found in 13.2% of cases of familial adenomatous polyposis following colectomy; therefore, familial adenomatous polyposis patients should be followed-up and surveillance should include abdominal examination to detect signs and symptoms. Treatment options include surgery and clinical management with antiestrogens, antiinflammatory drugs or chemotherapy.