ABSTRACT
Respiratory viral infections are frequent causes of morbidity in transplant patients. We screened symptomatic adult transplant recipients for respiratory viruses in a cohort of patients attending a referral medical center in Brazil. The duration of viral shedding and the prevalence of viral codetections were also determined. During a 1-year period (2011-2012), swabs were obtained from 50 patients. An in-house polymerase chain reaction panel designed to detect 10 viruses was used. Viruses were identified in 19 (38%) patients, particularly parainfluenza III (32%) and the respiratory syncytial virus (20%); multiple viruses were identified in 26% of patients. Prolonged viral shedding was observed with 60% of individuals excreting viruses for >10 days. The clinical and epidemiologic relevance of prolonged viral shedding remains to be determined.
Subject(s)
Graft Rejection/prevention & control , Immunocompromised Host , Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use , Organ Transplantation , Respiratory Tract Infections/transmission , Virus Diseases/transmission , Virus Shedding , Adult , Aged , Cohort Studies , Coinfection , Female , Humans , Influenza A virus/genetics , Influenza B virus/genetics , Influenza, Human/immunology , Influenza, Human/transmission , Kidney Transplantation , Liver Transplantation , Lung Transplantation , Male , Middle Aged , Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human/genetics , Parainfluenza Virus 2, Human/genetics , Parainfluenza Virus 3, Human/genetics , Prospective Studies , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections/immunology , Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections/transmission , Respiratory Syncytial Viruses/genetics , Respiratory Tract Infections/immunology , Respiratory Tract Infections/virology , Respirovirus Infections/immunology , Respirovirus Infections/transmission , Time Factors , Virus Diseases/immunology , Virus Diseases/virology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Critical thinking and creativity are two of the many skills that nursing educators try to develop in their students. Assessing a problem, planning possible solutions, and then creatively using the resources available to implement the solution take practice. As nurse educators, we must not become "rusty" in these highly valued skills. The article is this author's humorous account of using these skills.
