Intravenous device associated blood stream staphylococcal infection in paediatric patients.

Background & objectives: Intravenous device (IVD) associated nosocomial blood stream infections due to staphylococci are major cause of morbidity and mortality. The present study was carried out to assess the frequency of staphylococcal IVD associated infections in a paediatric ward of a tertiary case hospital. Prevalence of resistance to commonly used antimicrobials in hospital acquired staphylococcal isolates was also tested. Methods: Children admitted in paediatric wards with IVD for more than 48 h were enrolled. Blood, IVD tip at the time of removal, skin swab at the site of insertion of IVD and nasal swab were collected and cultured by standard protocol. All staphylococcal isolates from any source were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility by disk diffusion method. Genotyping matching of those staphylococcal isolates was done which were isolated from different sites of the same patient, but were phonotypically similar. Genotype of blood isolate was compared with genotype of isolate from nose/IVD/skin. Results: Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent blood isolate (8.7%) followed by Candida (2.9%), coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS 2.6%), Pseudomonas spp. (0.4%), Klebsiella spp. (0.3%) and Escherichia coli (0.1%). Isolation of microorganisms from blood was significantly higher in patients whose skin, IVD and nose were colonized by same microorganism (P<0.001). None of the staphylococcal isolate was found to be resistant to glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin). High penicillin and oxacillin resistance was present in both S. aureus (penicillin resistance; 76.8%, oxacillin resistance; 66.7%) and CoNS (penicillin resistance; 73.3%, oxacillin resistance; 60.0%). Among CoNS biotypes, S. haemolyticus was commonest blood isolate while S. epidermidis was commonest isolate from Skin/nose. Only 33.3 per cent of S. aureus blood stream infections and most of S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus blood infections were IVD associated. Interpretation & conclusions: Staphylococci were the major causative agent of nosocomial blood stream infections. All episodes of septicaemia due to S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus were IVD associated while only 1/3 of S. aureus septicaemia was IVD associated.

A dexmedetomidina para sedação, por via venosa, não interfere com a duração dos bloqueios sensitivo e motor da raquianestesia / Dexmedetomidine for intravenous sedation does not interfere with the duration of two sensory and motor blocks of spinal anesthesia

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A anestesia locorregional é uma prática freqüente e de grande aplicabilidade em Anestesiologia. Contudo, o paciente pode tornar-se ansioso, fazendo-se necessária a sedação. Os agentes benzodiazepínicos, opióides e o propofol são amplamente utilizados com este objetivo. Os agonistas alfa2-adrenérgicos possuem propriedades hipnóticas e sedativas e são uma alternativa no arsenal terapêutico, conferindo estabilidade hemodinâmica e mínima depressão respiratória. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a segurança e a interferência do uso da dexmedetomidina ou do midazolam, por via venosa, na duração dos bloqueios motor e sensitivo em raquianestesia. MÉTODO: Foram estudadas 35 pacientes adultas, do sexo feminino, estado físico ASA I e II, submetidas à raquianestesia com bupivacaína a 0,5 por cento hiperbárica (15 mg), para cirurgia ginecológica eletiva, distribuídas de modo aleatório em dois grupos: grupo M (n = 17) - sedação com midazolam em infusão contínua a 0,25 æg.kg-1.min-1 e grupo D (n = 18) - sedação com dexmedetomidina em infusão contínua a 0,5 æg.kg-1.min-1. A velocidade de infusão foi ajustada para manter o valor de BIS entre 60 e 80. Foram analisados os valores de PAS, PAD, FC, SpO2, BIS, extensão e duração dos bloqueios sensitivo motor (escala de Bromage). RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença estatística significativa entre os grupos quanto à idade, peso, nível de bloqueio sensitivo, variação na pressão arterial e freqüência cardíaca e na duração dos bloqueios sensitivo e motor. CONCLUSÕES: A dexmedetomidina utilizada em sedação, por via venosa, não interferiu nos parâmetros hemodinâmicos, duração ou extensão dos bloqueios sensitivo e motor na raquianestesia, representando boa opção para sedação durante anestesia locorregional.

A prefilled injection device for outreach tetanus immunization by Bolivian traditional birth attendants

This study evaluated the performance, acceptability, and appropriateness of a new, single-use, prefilled injection device called UniJect™ for an outreach immunization application.6 Between April and June 1995, UniJect devices were used by 36 traditional birth attendants to administer tetanus toxoid injections to 2 240 pregnant women during routine, antenatal home visits in the Northern, Ichilos, and Warnes Districts of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Because tetanus toxoid is relatively heat stable, the traditional birth attendants were able to keep the tetanus toxoid-filled UniJect devices in their homes for up to one month without refrigeration. The devices were stored, transported, and disposed of in an outreach carrier designed to reduce the risks of improper handling and disposal. Data were collected from injection recipients, traditional birth attendants, and supervisors via observation, questionnaires, and post-study interviews. The performance of the UniJect device and its acceptability among all groups was very high. The traditional birth attendants used UniJect properly and safely; there were no reports or observations of device misuse, reuse, or needle-stick. Advantages cited included the fact that the device required no assembly, offered assured sterility, and reduced vaccine wastage sometimes associated with multi-dose vials. The ability to store and transport the vaccine-filled devices without ice also greatly simplified logistics.

En este estudio se evaluaron el rendimiento, la aceptabilidad y la conveniencia de la inmunización antitetánica extrainstitucional con un nuevo dispositivo hipodérmico de una sola dosis, el UniJect®. De abril a junio de 1995, el dispositivo UniJect aprestado de fábrica con una sola dosis de toxoide tetánico fue utilizado por 36 parteras tradicionales para vacunar a 2 240 mujeres embarazadas durante las visitas domiciliarias prenatales de rutina en los distritos Norte, Ichilos y Warnes de Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Ya que el toxoide tetánico es termoestable, las parteras pudieron mantener los dispositivos UniJect sin refrigeración en sus hogares por un período de hasta un mes. Los UniJect se guardaron, transportaron y desecharon en portadores extrainstitucionales diseñados para reducir los riesgos de manipularlos y desecharlos de forma inadecuada. Se recolectaron datos de las mujeres vacunadas, las parteras tradicionales y sus supervisores, mediante observación, cuestionarios y entrevistas realizadas después del estudio. Todos los grupos consideraron muy satisfactorios el rendimiento y la aceptabilidad del dispositivo UniJect. Las parteras tradicionales lo usaron de forma apropiada y cuidadosa; no hubo informes ni observaciones de mala utilización, reúso o puntazos accidentales. Se mencionaron, como ventajas del dispositivo, que no requiere montaje, asegura la esterilidad y reduce el desperdicio de vacuna que a veces ocurre con las ampollas de dosis múltiples. Además, todo el procedimiento se simplifica porque los dispositivos pueden almacenarse y transportarse sin necesidad de hielo.