[Risk factors associated with the acquisition of multiresistant bacteria in a pediatric nursery] / Fatores de risco relacionados à aquisição de bactérias.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors in patients who had a multiresistant bacteria during their staying in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and in a pediatric nursery of a tertiary teaching hospital.METHODS: Chart review of the patients who stayed in the units from January, 1995 to July, 1997 and had a multiresistant microorganism isolated (both infection and colonization). A case-control study was done using McNemar test for group comparison and using stepwise logistic regression to select independent risk factors. The following risk factors were tested: prior hospital staying, underlying disease, intensive care unit admission, surgical procedure, urinary catheter, central venous line, ventilator, prior antibiotic therapy and skin lesion.RESULTS: Among 52 patients, 66 multiresistant bacteria were identified (among them, 33 were gram-negative bacilli and 33 were methicillin-resistant S. aureus). The logistic regression analysis of the case-control study identified 2 risk factors: prior antibiotic therapy and skin lesion. A single risk factor was indicated for patients with gram-negative bacilli. Nevertheless, for patients with methicillin-resistant S. aureus, central venous lines and skin lesion were significant.CONCLUSION: Prior antibiotic therapy and skin lesion were the factors associated with the acquisition of multiresistant bacteria. Besides skin lesion, for oxacilin-resistant S. aureus colonized patients, central venous catheter use was a risk factor. The strategies employed to limit the spread of those bacteria in the hospital should consider these three factors.

Use of undiluted whole cow's milk is effective for the routine treatment of children with acute diarrhea and severe dehydration.

A comparison is made between two groups of children aged 1-24 months and admitted to a teaching University Hospital due to acute diarrhea and severe dehydration. One group (n = 119) received a diluted cow's milk formula and the other (n = 109) a full-strength formula. Duration of diarrhea was similar: In the group that received full-strength milk weight gain was greater during diarrhea (5.03 vs. 1.80 g/kg/day, P < 0.01) and during the hospital stay (5.39 vs. 2.33 g/kg/day, P < 0.001). Weight for height z-scores and weight for height as percentage of median improved during the hospital stay only in the group that received the full-strength formula. Full-strength cow's milk seems to be an adequate routine regimen even for children with acute diarrhea that must be treated for severe dehydration. In developing countries diarrhea and dehydration are a disease of small children. As rates of exclusive breast feeding are low, mainly in the urban setting, cow's milk is the main and sometimes the only food available. Lactose-free formulae are priced out of reach of the poor people and in Latin America there is no accepted tradition for use of fermented milk products. Our study is an indication that use of undiluted cow's milk may be effective for the routine treatment of acute diarrhea in children that must be treated as inpatients due to severe dehydration.