ABSTRACT
We worked with 51 samples, 7 bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) and 44 sputa (S) of 31 AIDS patients with clinical and radiographic symptoms compatible with Pneumocystis pneumonia. With the aim of finding a specific sensitive methodology for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii, we evaluated 4 coloration techniques (silver methenamine, its modification without gold chloride, toluidine blue and Giemsa). 35
of the patients studied were positive. P. carinii were observed in 18
of the 44 sputa. We observed that the analysis of a single sputum sample (S) has a very low sensitivity and that the processing of two or more samples is necessary since only one of the 14 patients who had sent a single sample was found P. carinii positive, while in the remaining ten who had sent more than one (S) sample, the microorganism was detected in 50
. 4 of the 7 BAL were positive. 4 BAL were preceded by the analysis of an (S) sample: in two cases the results were negative while BAL allowed us to make the diagnosis, thus demonstrating its greater efficacy. To enhance sensitivity each sample was centrifuged until exhaustion and 10 slides were prepared for coloration with the final sediment. The four techniques employed were specific and all the Pneumocystis pneumonia patients responded to the treatment. Silver methenamine, its modification without gold chloride, and toluidine blue were very sensitive, in contrast to of Giemsa. The stain to be chosen is either silver methenamine, or its modification, because both achieve the best contrast, allowing optimum P. carinii identification. We suggest the implementation of some of these techniques in laboratory routine.
ABSTRACT
We worked with 51 samples, 7 bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) and 44 sputa (S) of 31 AIDS patients with clinical and radiographic symptoms compatible with Pneumocystis pneumonia. With the aim of finding a specific sensitive methodology for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii, we evaluated 4 coloration techniques (silver methenamine, its modification without gold chloride, toluidine blue and Giemsa). 35
of the patients studied were positive. P. carinii were observed in 18
of the 44 sputa. We observed that the analysis of a single sputum sample (S) has a very low sensitivity and that the processing of two or more samples is necessary since only one of the 14 patients who had sent a single sample was found P. carinii positive, while in the remaining ten who had sent more than one (S) sample, the microorganism was detected in 50
. 4 of the 7 BAL were positive. 4 BAL were preceded by the analysis of an (S) sample: in two cases the results were negative while BAL allowed us to make the diagnosis, thus demonstrating its greater efficacy. To enhance sensitivity each sample was centrifuged until exhaustion and 10 slides were prepared for coloration with the final sediment. The four techniques employed were specific and all the Pneumocystis pneumonia patients responded to the treatment. Silver methenamine, its modification without gold chloride, and toluidine blue were very sensitive, in contrast to of Giemsa. The stain to be chosen is either silver methenamine, or its modification, because both achieve the best contrast, allowing optimum P. carinii identification. We suggest the implementation of some of these techniques in laboratory routine.
ABSTRACT
Se examinaron durante un año 300 muestras de materia fecal de 210 niños diarreicos, para la búsqueda de Cryptosporidium sp., procedentes del Hospital Provincial del Centenario, Rosario. El rango de edad de los niños osciló entre la primer semana de vida y los 13 años, aunque su mayoría no superó los 3 años. Las heces se recolectaron en formol 10%, se enriquecieron por el método de formol-eter y se colorearon con las técnicas permanentes se Safranina 1% y Ziehl Neelsen modificada. Los ooquistes de Cryptosporidium sp. fueron detectados en 16 de los 210 niños examinados (7,6%). La cantidad de ooquistes presentes en las muestras positivas fue de moderada a abundante, con excepción de un solo niño donde el número de ooquistes fue demasiado escaso. Se obtuvieron muestras adicionales de sólo 5 de estos 16 niños. En 3 de ellos la segunda muestra se negativizó. En ninguna de las muestras positivas se detectaron simultáneamente trofozoitos, quistes, esporoquistes, huevos o larvas de otro enteoparásito. La búsqueda de Cryptosporidium sp. En niños diarreicos debe ser considerada como rutina parasitológica para el diagnóstico etiológico diferencial