The possible meanings of care: self-care and care-for-the-other.

OBJECTIVES: To understand and to reflect about care based on the experiences of managers, professionals and users of maternal and child health services. METHODS: We developed an evaluative research with a qualitative approach in a Northeastern state of Brazil with extensive experience in the regionalization and implementation process of integrated health networks. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 68 subjects and direct observation of the maternal and child health services. We adopted the theoretical reference framework of Gadamer's hermeneutics to analyze the narratives. RESULTS: Some units of meaning were present, such as: perception and knowledge about oneself; exercise of autonomy; weaknesses in the provision of resources for the materialization of self-care; and difficulties in accessing health services and care practices. We perceive that care is dynamic, comprises various subjective aspects with respect to the singularities of the subjects and is related to the possibility of generating both individual and collective transformation. CONCLUSIONS: Care is built based on a movement among the subjects and between them and the social and health services. Thus, when we intend to take care, we need to consider this instead of focusing care solely on the technical support of health professionals.

Vigilancia e busca ativa de casos suspeitos de dengue hemorrágico em Ribeiräo Preto, Säo Paulo / Surveillance and active search system for susspet cases of hemorrhagic dengue in Riberao Preto, Sao Paulo

Um estudo clínico-epidemiológico, do tipo relato de casos, avaliou o sistema de vigilância e busca ativa de casos suspeitos de dengue hemorrágico/síndrome de choque do dengue (DH/SCD) durante uma epidemia de dengue no Município de Ribeirão Preto, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, que ocorreu entre novembro de 1990 e março de 1991. Tratou-se da primeira epidemia de dengue registrada nessa região. Embora o dengue seja um problema de saúde pública crescente no Brasil e o DH/SCD pareça tratar-se de um problema em evolução nas Américas, os serviços de saúde pública demonstram uma atitude passiva diante da ocorrência da doença, em parte como fruto da falta de experiência. A divulgação da ocorrência desta enfermidade, tanto na forma de casos esporádicos como na forma epidêmica, é essencial para a redução da letalidade. Os dados utilizados na presente análise foram coletados pelo sistema oficial de vigilância epidemiológica do Município de Ribeirão Preto durante o período da epidemia. Entre 2 521 casos confirmados de dengue foram identificados 36 casos suspeitos de DH/SCD ­ 34 casos de doença febril aguda com manifestações hemorrágicas e 2 óbitos associados ao dengue. Desse conjunto, 12 casos de dengue com manifestações hemorrágicas foram confirmados laboratorialmente. A análise dos dados clínicos, epidemiológicos, laboratoriais e de autópsia dos óbitos associados ao dengue sugeriu tratarem-se de casos de DH/SCD primário. O estudo aqui descrito evidenciou a dificuldade do sistema assistencial de saúde em estabelecer a suspeita clínica de DH/SCD. Isto acarretou demora e inadequação na conduta clínica. Além disso, ficou confirmada a necessidade de um sistema de vigilância epidemiológica ativa permanente, que possibilite a identificação precoce dos casos suspeitosde DH/SCD e viabilize uma ação de controle rápida e adequada

A clinical-epidemiological case study was carried out to evaluate a surveillance and active search system for suspect cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) during a dengue epidemic in the Ribeirão Preto municipality, State of São Paulo, Brazil, between November 1990 and March 1991. This was the first dengue epidemic ever recorded in this region. Although dengue is a growing public health problem in Brazil, and DHF/DSS has been reported to be evolving in the Americas, health officials have shown a passive attitude towards the disease, partly due to lack of experience. Reporting dengue occurrences, both of isolated cases and of epidemics, is essential to reduce mortality. The data analyzed were collected through the official epidemiological surveillance system during the 1990­1991 epidemic. Out of the 2 521 confirmed cases of dengue, 34 cases of febrile acute illness with hemorrhagic manifestations were identified as possible cases of DHF/DSS, as well as two deaths associated to dengue. From these 36 cases, 12 cases were confirmed by laboratory exams as dengue with hemorrhagic manifestations. Examination of clinical and laboratory data, and results of the autopsies suggested that the two deaths were cases of primary DHF/DSS. The difficulty of the health system in establishing the clinical suspicion of DHF/DSS was confirmed in the study. This resulted in delayed and inadequate clinical procedure. The present study also confirmed the need for a permanent active epidemiological surveillance system for the early identification of DHF/DSS suspect cases thus enabling quick and adequate control actions.