A bacteriologia artensanal do escarro comparada com o material obtido por punção pulmonar transcutânea aspirativa / Comparative study of selected sputum and pulmonary tap to establish the etiology of pulmonary infections

Este artigo apresenta os resultados do estudo comparativo entre a bacteriologia do escarro dessalivado comparada com a do material obtido por punção pulmonar, com o objetivo de definir a etiologia da infecção pulmonar em 27 pacientes. Este método simples de preparar o escarro para o exame bacteriológico mostrou uma sensibilidade de 95 por cento e uma especificidade de 83 por cento. Concluímos que este método de descontaminação do escarro é de grande valor para detectar o agente etiológico nas infecções pulmonares

Chronic secretory otitis media: negative bacteriology.

There is disagreement on the role of bacteria in the genesis and maintenance of chronic secretory otitis media (CSOM). Extensive studies from other countries report up to 40% of middle ear cultures with bacterial growth. For the present study, material was collected from 94 ears of children with both clinical and tympanometric diagnoses of CSOM. The samples were sent for bacteriological analysis, in there it was stained according to Gram's method and put into growing media: MacConkey (for gram-negative bacteria) and blood agar (for gram-positive bacteria) for 24 h, at 37 degrees C. If germs were identified by Gram's method, antibiograms would be carried out as well, with the Mueller Hington medium. No cultures were made for anaerobes. Only one ear had grown bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis), which was deemed contamination. No other ear studied bore bacteria. The possible causes for this disagreement between our study and the literature are discussed.

Endogenous endophthalmitis due to Listeria monocytogenes.

The authors report a case of Listeria monocytogenes endophthalmitis in a patient who had undergone cardiac revascularization surgery and was receiving systemic corticosteroids. The organism was isolated both in the aqueous humor and in blood culture. The infection was successfully treated with intravenous crystalline penicillin, but the patient developed a bullous keratopathy and secondary glaucoma, resulting in poor visual acuity (counting fingers at 0.5 m). The visual acuity recovered to 20/30 after a penetrating keratoplasty and the glaucoma was controlled with a Molteno implant and a trabeculectomy combined with administration of mitomycin. Listeria monocytogenes endogenous endophthalmitis should be suspected in any immunosuppressed patient with severe anterior uveitis, especially when a brown hypopyon, high intraocular pressure and corneal edema are present.

Actinomycetoma caused by Rhodococcus spp.

We report a case of mycetoma caused by Rhodococcus in a 62-year-old man who presented with multiple draining sinuses of the left foot. Biopsy specimen showed granulomatous reaction and microabcesses contained granules. These granules were composed by rod and coccoid Gram-positive and partially acid-fast elements. Culture grew a 'Nocardia-like organism', confirmed at the Center for Disease Control as Rhodococcus spp.

Recurrent infection with Chromobacterium violaceum: first case report from South America.

A case of chromobacteriosis in a young Brazilian with toxaemia and multiple skin abscesses is described. The infection responded to treatment with chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole but recurred 18 months later following insect bites received while fishing in a river. Chromobacterium violaceum was subsequently isolated from the river water. This is the first case of this kind to be reported from South America.

Netilmicina - avaliacao clinico-laboratorial em pacientes portadores de infeccao urinaria. / Netilmicin: clinical and laboratorial evaluation with urinary infection

Os autores avaliam a eficacia e paraefeitos de um novo aminoglicosideo, a netilmicina, utilizada em um grupo de 20 pacientes portadores de infeccao urinaria

Pulmonary nocardiosis report of the first two Brazilian cases.

The first two Brazilian cases of human pulmonary nocardiosis are reported. Diagnosis was established on material obtained by direct lung puncture. A review of selected aspects on pulmonary nocardiosis in Latin American countries is presented.