Collection of tracheal aspirate: safety and microbiological concordance between two techniques

Objective: To evaluate the safety of the performance of the traditional and protected collection techniques of tracheal aspirate and to identify qualitative and quantitative agreement of the results of microbiological cultures between the techniques. Method: Clinical, prospective, comparative, single-blind research. The sample was composed of 54 patients of >18 years of age, undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation for a period of ≥48 hours and with suspected Ventilator Associated Pneumonia. The two techniques were implemented in the same patient, one immediately after the other, with an order of random execution, according to randomization by specialized software. Results: No significant events occurred oxygen desaturation, hemodynamic instability or tracheobronchial hemorrhage (p<0.05) and, although there were differences in some strains, there was qualitative and quantitative agreement between the techniques (p<0.001). Conclusion: Utilization of the protected technique provided no advantage over the traditional and execution of both techniques was safe for the patient

Vivencias de la paternidad en la adolescencia en una comunidad brasileña de baja renta Vivências da paternidade na adolescência em uma comunidade brasileira de baixa renda The experience of paternity during adolescence in a low-income Brazilian community

Existen lagunas en el conocimiento relativo a la paternidad en la adolescencia. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo explorar las vivencias de la paternidad en la adolescencia. El método de investigación fue la historia oral temática; fueron entrevistados 19 residentes de una comunidad brasileña de baja renta. Las categorías descriptivas de la experiencia fueron: a) Lagunas en la educación sexual, falta de cuidado con la anticoncepción y el deseo de ser padre, contribuyeron para la ocurrencia de la paternidad en la adolescencia; b) Los adolescentes fueron sorprendidos por la gravidez y aceptaron las responsabilidades paternales en la medida de sus posibilidades; c) La paternidad en la adolescencia significó alcanzar la madurez rápidamente y tener la vida transformada, y, d) Arrepentimiento o felicidad: resultados distintos de la paternidad en la adolescencia. Las intervenciones junto a los adolescentes deben ser realizadas de forma segura, ética y contextualizada.<br>Existem lacunas no conhecimento relativo à paternidade na adolescência. Esta investigação teve o objetivo de explorar as vivências da paternidade na adolescência. O método de investigação foi a história oral temática e entrevistados 19 moradores de uma comunidade brasileira de baixa renda. As categorias descritivas da experiência foram: a) Lacunas na educação sexual, falta de cuidado com a anticoncepção e o desejo de ser pai contribuíram para a ocorrência da paternidade na adolescência; b) Os adolescentes foram surpreendidos pela gravidez e assumiram as responsabilidades paternas na medida de suas possibilidades; c) A paternidade na adolescência significou amadurecimento rápido e ter a vida transformada e d) Arrependimento ou felicidade: resultados distintos da paternidade na adolescência. As intervenções junto aos adolescentes devem ser realizadas de forma segura, ética e contextualizada.<br>There are gaps in the knowledge related to paternity during adolescence. This investigation had the purpose to explore the experiences of paternity during adolescence. The investigation method was the thematic oral history, with 19 members of a low-income Brazilian community being interviewed. The categories describing the experience were: a) Gaps in sexual education, lack of attention to contraceptive methods and the desire for fatherhood contributed for the occurrence of paternity during adolescence; b) The adolescents were surprised by pregnancy and assumed the paternal responsibilities as best as they could; c) Paternity during adolescence meant a faster process of maturation and having their lives transformed; d) Regret or happiness: distinct results of paternity in adolescence. Interventions focused on adolescents must be performed in safe, ethical and contextualized ways

Crises hipertensivas em portadores de hipertensão arterial em tratamento ambulatorial Crisis hipertensivas en portadores de hipertensión arterial en tratamiento ambulatorio Hypertensive crises in bearers of arterial hypertension in ambulatorial treatment

O presente estudo avaliou as características sociodemográficas e de adesão terapêutica de 27 portadores de hipertensão arterial em tratamento ambulatorial que apresentaram crises de urgências ou emergências hipertensivas e haviam sido atendidos em uma unidade de leito-dia e em uma unidade de emergência da cidade de Fortaleza-Ceará, no período de outubro de 2002 a maio de 2003. A maioria era mulher, com idade de 50 a 60 anos, pouca escolaridade, tempo de tratamento inferior a cinco anos e tempo de diagnóstico entre cinco e dez anos. O uso dos remédios foi o tratamento mais referido, seguido pela redução do consumo de sal e comparecimento às consultas. No entanto, o fato de comparecerem às consultas e receberem orientação parece não modificar o comportamento, uma vez que a maioria dos entrevistados não praticava exercícios físicos e demonstrava deficiência no conhecimento sobre a doença, atribuindo a elevação da pressão arterial a fatores emocionais.<br>El presente estudio evaluó las características sociodemográficas y de adhesión terapéutica de 27 portadores de hipertensión arterial en tratamiento ambulatorio que presentaron crisis de urgencias o emergencias hipertensivas y habían sido atendidos en una unidad de internamiento diurno y en una unidad de emergencia de la ciudad de Fortaleza - Ceará, en el período de octubre del 2002 a mayo del 2003. La mayoría fue del sexo femenino, con edad de 50 a 60 años, poca escolaridad, tiempo de tratamiento inferior a cinco años y tiempo de diagnóstico entre cinco y diez años. El uso de los remedios fue el tratamiento más referido, seguido por la reducción del consumo de sal y asistencia a las consultas. Entre tanto, el hecho de asistir a las consultas y recibir orientación parece no modificar su comportamiento, pues la mayoría de los entrevistados no praticaba ejercicios físicos y demostraba falta de conocimiento sobre la enfermedad, atribuyendo la elevación de la presión arterial a factores emocionales.<br>This study assessed the socio-demographic characteristics and the characteristics of therapeutic adhesion of 27 bearers of arterial hypertension undergoing ambulatorial treatment who had hypertensive urgencies crises or emergencies in the city of Fortaleza in the period between October of 2002 and May of 2003. The majority were women, between 50 and 60-years old, with little formal education, treatment time shorter than 5 years and time of diagnosis varying from 5 to 10 years. The use of medicine was the treatment that was most mentioned, followed by the reduction of the consumption of salt and attendance to medical appointments. However, attending the appointments and receiving orientation did not seem to change their behavior, since most of the patients that were interviewed practiced no physical exercises and demonstrated little knowledge of the illness, for they attributed the rise of the arterial pressure to emotional factors

Intercorrência audiológica em músicas após um show de rock Hearing incidents in musicians after a rock concert

OBJETIVO: verificar mudança temporária do limiar de audição de músicos, após exposição a níveis de pressão sonora elevados de um show de rock. MÉTODOS: foi utilizada uma amostra com seis músicos componentes da banda. Foram feitos: anamnese ocupacional, determinação dos níveis mínimos de audição e reflexos acústicos, antes e após o show de rock. A mensuração do ruído da sala do exame e do palco foi realizada por meio de um dosímetro. Os resultados foram comparados e analisados estatisticamente, utilizando-se o teste t Student, com critério para determinação de significância de p maior do que 0,05. RESULTADOS: para a dosimetria, foi encontrada a exposição ao ruído do show com valor de LAVG igual a 98,5 dB. Dentre os aspectos comportamentais relacionados ao ruído, o zumbido foi a queixa mais presente entre os integrantes. Na audiometria tonal, as maiores diferenças pré e pós-exposição, foram encontradas nas freqüências altas, sendo a orelha direita a que apresentou maiores mudanças temporárias de limiar. Os resultados foram significantes nas freqüências de 2000, 3000, 4000 e 6000 Hz, na orelha direita (p=2,7; p=2,59; p=3,7 e p=2,86) e, na freqüência de 4000 Hz, na orelha esquerda (p=2,87). Na medida do reflexo acústico após o show, a orelha direita obteve o maior índice de ausência de reflexo, com o índice de 40%; entretanto, foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes, na presença de reflexo acústico na comparação pré e pós-exposição, apenas na orelha esquerda (p=3,64). CONCLUSÃO: músicos expostos a níveis de pressão sonora intensos apresentaram alteração temporária do limiar e alteração do reflexo acústico.<br>PURPOSE: verifying the temporary threshold shift in musicians after a high sound pressure level music exposure in a rock concert. METHODS: the sample has been made up of six band's musicians, who underwent an occupational anamnesis, pure tone audiometry and acoustic reflex measurements, before and after the rock concert. The noise levels of the room and the stage were determined by means of a dosimeter. The results were compared and statically analyzed using the t Student test with significance criterion of p> 0.05. the noise level found in the room and stage during the concert was 98.5 dB. As for the behavioral aspects related to the noise, tinnitus was the most prevalent complaint among the subjects. In pure tone audiometry, statistically significant differences were found in the hearing thresholds, before and after exposure, mostly in the right ear for the high frequencies. The results were also statistically significant at the frequencies between 2000Hz and 6000Hz, for the right ear (p=2.7; p=2.59; p=3.7 e p=2.86), and at the frequency of 4000Hz, for the left ear (p=2.87). The right ear's acoustic reflex has shown the highest index of absence (40%); however, we found statistically significant differences in the presence of the acoustic reflex, before and after exposure, only for the left ear (p=3.64). CONCLUSION: musicians exposed to high sound pressure levels in rock concerts have shown temporary threshold shift at the pure tone audiometry and acoustic reflex measurements

Early detection of leprosy by examination of household contacts, determination of serum anti-PGL-1 antibodies and consanguinity

A cross-sectional clinical trial in which the serum anti-phenolic glycolipid (anti-PGL-1) antibodies were analysed in household contacts (HHC) of patients with leprosy as an adjunct early leprosy diagnostic marker was conducted. The families of 83 patients underwent clinical examination and serum anti-PGL1 measurement using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of 320 HHC, 98 were contacts of lepromatous leprosy (LL), 80 were contacts of borderline lepromatous (BL), 28 were contacts of borderline (BB) leprosy, 54 were contacts of borderline tuberculoid (BT), 40 were contacts of tuberculoid (TT) and 20 were contacts of indeterminate (I) leprosy. Consanguinity with the patients was determined for 232 (72.5%) HHC. Of those 232 contacts, 183 had linear consanguinity. Forty-nine HHC had collateral consanguinity. Fifty-eight contacts (18.1%) tested positive for anti-PGL1 antibodies. The number of seropositive contacts based on the clinical forms of the index case was 17 (29.3%) for LL, 15 (25.9%) for BL, one (1.7%) for BB, 14 (24.1%) for BT, three (5.2%) for TT and eight (13.7%) for I. At the one year follow-up, two (3.4%) of these seropositive contacts had developed BT leprosy. The results of the present study indicate that the serum anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody may be useful for evaluating antigen exposure and as a tool for an early leprosy diagnosis in HHC