MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF LETTUCE SALADS AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS SPP.

INTRODUCTION: self-service restaurants in which food is served ready to be consumed are liable to have some products contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms causing food-transmitted diseases. AIM: evaluates the microbiological quality of lettuce salads in restaurants in Pelotas RS Brazil by counts of thermo-tolerant coliforms, E. coli, Staphylococcus spp. and detection of Salmonella spp. Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus spp. isolates are also assessed. METHODS: thirty-six samples of lettuce salads were collected from nine restaurants and thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. were quantified, coupled to a research on Salmonella spp., following methodology by the Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Staphylococcus spp. isolates underwent antimicrobial resistance test by the disc-diffusion method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: results showed that 61.1% of the salad samples contained more thermotolerant coliforms than allowed by Brazilian legislation and E. coli was confirmed in 5.6% of the samples. Positive and negative coagulase Staphylococcus occurred respectively in 5.6% and 77.8% of isolates, but no sample had Salmonella spp. Further, 56.7% of the thirty isolates of Staphylococcus spp. tested were resistant to penicillin; 46.7% to oxacillin; 26.7% to erythromycin and 23.3% were multi- resistant. CONCLUSION: inadequate quality of the salad was due to pathogenic microorganisms, while Staphylococcus spp. isolates had a high percentage of antimicrobial resistance.

Introducción: la procura por estabelecimientos que ofrecen alimentos prontos para consumo ha aumentado, sin embrago, los alimentos disponibles en estos locales pueden estar contaminados con microorganismos patogénicos, pudiendo causar enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos. Objetivos: evaluar la calidad microbiológica de las ensaladas de lechuga en los restaurantes de Pelotas RS Brasil, a través de los recuentos de coliformes termotolerantes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp. y la detección de Salmonella spp. Resistencia a los antimicrobianos de Staphylococcus spp. también se evalúan. Métodos: fueron colectadas 36 muestras de ensaladas de lechuga en nueve restaurantes y realizada la cuantificación de coliformes termotolerantes, Escherichia coli y Staphylococcus spp. e investigación de Salmonella spp., siguiendo la metodología del Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Los aislados de Staphylococcus spp. fueron sometidos al examen de resistencia a antimicrobianos por el método de difusión con discos. Resultados y discusión: de las 36 muestras de ensalada de lechuga, 61,1% presentaron cuantificación de coliformes termotolerantes superiores a lo permitido por la legislación brasileña, y hubo confirmación de E. coli en 5,6% de las muestras. La cuantificación de Staphylococcus coagulasa positiva representó 5,6% de los aislados y Staphylococcus coagulasa negativa representó 77,8%. Todas las muestras presentaron ausencia de Salmonella spp. De los 30 aislados de Staphylococcus spp. examinados, 56,7% fueron resistentes a penicilina, 46,7% a oxacilina, 26,7% a eritromicina y 23,3% fueron multirresistentes. Conclusión: la calidad microbiológica de las ensaladas de lechuga se mostró inadecuada debido a la presencia de microorganismos patogénicos, y los aislados de Staphylococcus spp. presentaron elevado porcentaje de resistencia antimicrobiana.

Perfil e evolução do estado nutricional de pacientes que frequentam um ambulatório de nutrição do Sul do Brasil / Profile and challenges of nutritional status of patients attending anout patient nutrition southern Brazil

Introdução: O acompanhamento nutricional e modificações nos hábitos de vida são fundamentais para a prevenção e tratamento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil e a evolução do estado nutricional de pacientes atendidos em um Ambulatório de Nutrição do Sul do Brasil. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo analítico que utilizou dados secundários, obtidos através da análise dos prontuários dos pacientes atendidos entre janeiro de 2007 e junho de 2012. Foram incluídos no estudo 785 pa cientes, de ambos os sexos, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas através do pacote estatístico Stata® 11.1 e foram considerados significativos valores de p ≤ 0,05. Resultados e discussão: Dos 785 pacientes, 578 (73,7%) era do sexo feminino, com idade média de 46,4 mais o menos 15,4 anos. A prevalência de sobrepeso/obesidade foi de mais de 85%, tanto na primeira, quanto na última consulta. Cerca de 18% das mulheres e 20% dos homens melhoraram seu estado nutricional. A porcentagem de perda ou ganho de peso variou significativamente de acordo com o nú- mero de consultas (p = 0,008), com o intervalo de tempo entre a 1ª e última consulta (p = 0,012) e com o IMC inicial (p = 0,003). Tanto o IMC inicial quanto o final variaram significativamente de acordo com o sexo (p = 0,003 e 0,026, respectivamente). Conclusão: Os resultados demonstram a importância da orientação nutricional e da inserção do profissional nutricionista no ambiente ambulatorial, onde a mudança de hábitos deve ser propagada entre os pacientes, diminuindo e prevenindo a ocorrência e as consequências de doenças crônicas (AU)

Introduction: The nutritional and changes in life habits are key to the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Objective: To evaluate the characteristics and evolution of the nutritional status of patients seen in an Outpatient Nutrition in Southern Brazil. Methods: Analytical study using secondary data obtained through analysis of medical records of patients treated between January 2007 and June 2012, 785 patients of both sexes, aged were included in the study was performed 18 years. Statistical analyzes were performed using Stata ® 11.1 and values were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05. Results e discussion: Most patients (73.7%) were female, mean age 46.4 greater than or equal to 15.4 years. The prevalence of overweight / obesity was more than 85% in both the first and in the last query. About 18% of women and 20% men improved their nutritional status. The percentage of loss or weight gain varied significantly according to the number of consultations (p = 0.008), with the time interval between the 1st and last visit (p = 0.012), and the initial BMI (p = 0.003). Both the initial BMI as the final varied significantly according to sex (p = 0.003 and 0.026, respectively). Conclusion: The results demonstrate the importance of nutritional counseling and insertion of professional dietitian in an outpatient setting, where the change of habits should be propagated among patients, reducing and preventing the occurrence and consequences of chronic diseases (AU)