[Risk of contamination with blood during obstetric-gynecologic surgery]. / Riesgo de contaminación con sangre durante cirugía gineco-obstétrica.

To determine the risk of exposure to blood and body fluids potentially contaminated with infectious organisms, we instituted a prospective study of 100 gynecologic procedures performed at Hospital General Regional of Puebla, México. Accidental exposure to blood occurred during 8 procedures (8%). There were 8 glove tears (8%). Needlestick injuries occurred in 6% of the operations. The frequency of blood contamination, glove tears and percutaneous injuries is high; surgical personnel are at risk of contracting a blood-borne disease such as HIV infection or viral hepatitis. Implantation of universal blood and body fluids precautions is useful in preventing HIV exposures of which needlestick precautions are most important.

[Blood transfusion-associated AIDS]. / SIDA asociado con transfusión de sangre.

OBJECTIVE: To know the prevalence and epidemiologic characteristics of AIDS related to blood transfusion. DESIGN: This is a retrospective study, conducted from January 1988 to August 1992. PLACE: General Regional Hospital of Mexican Institute for Social Security in Puebla, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: Inpatients and outpatients attending the hospital and in whom the diagnosis of AIDS stage IV, according to the criteria by the Centers for Disease control, Atlanta, USA, was made. The following criteria were used: age, sex, marital status, date of blood transfusion, amount of blood units transfused, incubation period and course of the disease. STATISTICAL METHODS: The mean, standard deviation, the correlation coefficient and Student t-test were used. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-seven cases of AIDS were found, 61 of then were related to blood transfusion (24.7%). The mean age was 30 years (SD +/- 9). Thirty-nine out of 61 cases were females (63.9%). The incubation period was 48 months (SD +/- 16) and was shorter in those subjects who received more units of blood, however, this was not statistically significant (P > 0.20). Transmission of the infection to the sexual partner was observed in 6 cases, and perinatal transmission in 2 cases. CONCLUSION: AIDS transmitted by blood transfusion is important; it is more common in females and it is related to the high incidence of HIV infection among commercial donors. Nowadays this mode of transmission is considered virtually absent and a great decrease in transfusion-related AIDS cases is expected in the future.

[Posttransfusion hepatitis. A prospective study]. / Hepatitis post transfusión. Estudio prospectivo.

This prospective study was carried out on thirty patients transfused with blood or blood products, by ten (33.3%) posttransfusion hepatitis was diagnosed; this is 15.75 cases per 1,000 U transfused. Four patients developed jaundice; six remained asymptomatic. In nine patients (90%) non-A, non-B hepatitis was diagnosed and one (10%) case was classified as hepatitis B. Two patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis developed chronic hepatitis, corroborated through percutaneous liver biopsy.

[Meningitis caused by Salmonella]. / Meningitis por Salmonella.

The clinical and laboratory characteristics of eleven cases of bacterial meningitis due to Salmonella, are reviewed. Meningitis was more common in children under the age of 13 months. In younger children the symptoms and neurological signs were not evident. Convulsive disorders and neurological coma were the most frequent complications in 4 and 5 cases respectively. The mortality ratio was high, 36% (4 patients) and the neurological sequelae were very important: two patients presented spastic paralytic alterations and other two had hydrocephalia. The main findings in the cerebral spinal fluid were: increased leukocytes and proteins with low glucose determinations; comparing with other purulent meningitis, mononuclear cells were predominant over polymorphonuclear cells in 7 cases (64%). Salmonella was isolated in all cases; Salmonella typhi was recovered in 3 cases; one had group "C" Salmonella and 7 cases Salmonella group "B". These cases were treated with either chloramphenicol or ampicillin.

[Hepatic abscess caused by Salmonella]. / Absceso hepático por Salmonella.

In Mexico liver abscesses are frequent and most of them are produced by amibas. Sometimes the ethiology is caused by bacterias and its ethiological diagnosis is difficult therefore the specifics treatment takes longer and this may increase mortality. In this issue, the clinical laboratory scand caracteristics are presented on six patients having liver abscess caused by Salmonella as well as its evolution and reaction to treatment.