Treatment of adults with community-acquired respiratory tract infections: results of a multicentric clinical trial with gatifloxacin

Respiratory tract infections have an important clinical and economic impact and they are the most common indication for antibiotic use in outpatient practice. This prospective, multicenter non-controlled trial assessed the efficacy and safety of gatifloxacin in the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections. Patients were treated with a daily oral dose of gatifloxacin 400 mg for 7-14 days. The diagnosis of respiratory infection was made based on the clinical condition and/or radiologic findings. A total of 5,044 adult patients with community-acquired respiratory infections was treated with gatifloxacin in different centers in Brazil between March 1, 2001, and October 31, 2001. Among the 5,044 patients treated, 1,501 patients (29.76%) had community-acquired pneumonia, 756 (14.99%) had acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and 2,787 (55.25%) had acute sinusitis. Of the total of patients treated, 3,607 (71.51%) were considered cured, 1,261 (25%) progressed with some clinical improvement, 28 (0.56%) presented a relapse, 56 (1.11%) failed to treatment and 92 (1.82%) were unable to be evaluated. Adverse events were described in 634 (12.57%) patients. The most common adverse events were: nausea (2.24%); dyspepsia (1.86%); diarrhea (0.79%); change in taste (0.46%); insomnia and irritability (0.22%); dizziness (0.77%); headache (0.42%); allergic reaction (0.18%); Central Nervous System alterations - insomnia, agitation, anxiety - (0.46%). This study showed that the treatment of respiratory tract infections with gatifloxacin was safe and efficient and had a low incidence of adverse events.Federal University of São Paulo Division of Infectious DiseasesMedicine School of São Paulo Clinical HospitalUNIFESP, Division of Infectious DiseasesSciEL

Parecer Técnico sobre vacinação contra COVID-19 para as pessoas com síndrome de Down

Parecer técnico dirigido à Federação Brasileira das Associações de Síndrome de Down sobre a vacinação contra COVID-19 para as pessoas com síndrome de Down

Predictors of 14-day mortality in patients with bloodstream infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae strains: a mathematical PK/PD analysis

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Hospital São Paulo Division of Infectious DiseasesUNIFESP, Hospital São Paulo Division of Infectious DiseasesSciEL

Preventing catheter-associated infections in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: impact of an educational program surveying policies for insertion and care of central venous catheters in a Brazilian teaching hospital

Objectives: To determine the impact of an educational program on the prevention of central venous catheter-related infections in a Brazilian Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Patients and Methods: All patients admitted to the unit between February 2004 and May 2005 were included in the cohort study in a longitudinal assessment. An educational program was developed based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for prevention of catheter-associated infections and was adapted to local conditions and resources after an initial observational phase. Incidence of catheter-associated infections was measured by means of on-site surveillance. Results: One hundred eighteen nosocomial infections occurred in 253 patients (46.6 infections per 100 admissions) and in 2,954 patient-days (39.9 infections per 1,000 patient-days). The incidence-density of catheter infections was 31.1 episodes per 1.000 venous central catheter-days before interventions, and 16.5 episodes per 1,000 venous central catheter-days afterwards (relative risk 0.53 [95% CI 0.28-1.01]). Corresponding rates for exit-site catheter infections were 8.0 and 2.5 episodes per 1,000 venous central catheter-days [0.32 (0.07-1.49)], and the rates for bloodstream infections were 23.1 and 13.9 episodes per 1,000 venous central catheter-days, before and after interventions [0.61 (0.32-1.14)]. Conclusion: A prevention strategy targeted at the insertion and maintenance of vascular access can decrease rates of vascular-access infections in pediatric intensive care unit.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Infectious Disease Pediatric DepartmentUniversidade de São Paulo Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Pediatrics DepartmentUNIFESP Division of Infectious Diseases Hospital Infection ProgramUNIFESP, Infectious Disease Pediatric DepartmentUNIFESP, Division of Infectious Diseases Hospital Infection ProgramSciEL

Impact of the introduction of an automated microbiologic system on the clinical outcomes of bloodstream infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae strains

INTRODUCTION: Enterobacteriaceae strains are a leading cause of bloodstream infections (BSI). The aim of this study is to assess differences in clinical outcomes of patients with BSI caused by Enterobacteriaceae strains before and after introduction of an automated microbiologic system by the microbiology laboratory. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the impact of the introduction of an automated microbiologic system (Phoenix(tm) automated microbiology system, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) - Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, MD, USA) on the outcomes of BSIs caused by Enterobacteriaceae strains. The study was undertaken at Hospital São Paulo, a 750-bed teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Patients with BSI caused by Enterobacteriaceae strains before the introduction of the automated system were compared with patients with BSI caused by the same pathogens after the introduction of the automated system with regard to treatment adequacy, clinical cure/improvement and 14- and 28-day mortality rates. RESULTS: We evaluated 90 and 106 patients in the non-automated and automated testing periods, respectively. The most prevalent species in both periods were Klebsiella spp. and Proteus spp. Clinical cure/improvement occurred in 70% and 67.9% in non-automated and automated period, respectively (p=0.75). 14-day mortality rates were 22.2% and 30% (p=0.94) and 28-day mortality rates were 24.5% and 40.5% (p= 0.12). There were no significant differences between the two testing periods with regard to treatment adequacy, clinical cure/improvement and 14- and 28-day mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of the BD Phoenix(tm) automated microbiology system did not impact the clinical outcomes of BSIs caused by Enterobacteriaceae strains in our setting.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Hospital São PauloUNIFESP, EPM, Hospital São PauloSciEL

Use of statistical process control charts in the epidemiological surveillance of nosocomial infections

OBJECTIVE: To monitor occurrence trends and identify clusters of nosocomial infection (NI) using statistical process control (SPC) charts. METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2000 nosocomial infection occurrence was evaluated in a cohort of 460 patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital, according to the concepts and criteria proposed by the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control, in the United States. Graphs were plotted using Poisson statistical distribution, including four horizontal lines: center line (CL), upper warning limit (UWL) and upper control limit (UCL). The CL was the arithmetic mean NI rate calculated for the studied period; UWL and UCL were drawn at 2 and 3 standard deviations above average NI rates, respectively. Clusters were identified when NI rates remained above UCL. RESULTS: Mean NI incidence was 20 per 1,000 patient days. One urinary tract infection cluster was identified in July 2000, with an infection rate of 63 per 1,000 patient days, exceeding UCL and characterizing a period of epidemic. CONCLUSIONS: The use of SPC charts for controlling endemic levels of NI, through both global and site-specific evaluation, allowed for the identification of uncommon variations in NI rates, such as outbreaks and epidemics, and for their distinction from the natural variations observed in NI occurrence rates, without the need for calculations and hypothesis testing.OBJETIVO: Monitorizar a tendência de ocorrência e identificar surtos de infecções hospitalares utilizando diagramas de controles. MÉTODOS: No período de janeiro de 1998 a dezembro de 2000, a ocorrência de infecções hospitalares foi avaliada em uma coorte de 460 pacientes, internados em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica de um hospital universitário, segundo os conceitos e critérios da metodologia do sistema National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance, do Centers for Disease Control (EUA). Os gráficos foram construídos de acordo com a distribuição probabilística de Poisson. Quatro linhas horizontais foram plotadas. A linha central foi representada pela incidência média das infecções hospitalares no período estudado e as linhas de alerta superior e de controle superior foram calculadas a partir de dois e três desvios-padrão acima da incidência média das infecções hospitalares, respectivamente. Os surtos de infecção hospitalar foram identificados quando sua incidência mensal permaneceu acima da linha do limite de controle superior. RESULTADOS: A incidência média de infecções hospitalares por mil pacientes dia foi de 20. Um surto de infecção do trato urinário foi identificado em julho de 2000, cuja taxa de infecção foi de 63 por mil pacientes dia, ultrapassando a linha de controle superior, configurando um período epidêmico. CONCLUSÕES: A utilização dos diagramas de controle do nível endêmico, tanto por avaliação global e sítio específica, possibilitou identificar e distinguir das variações naturais nas taxas de ocorrência de infecções hospitalares aquelas de causas incomuns, como os surtos ou epidemias, dispensando o uso de cálculos e testes de hipóteses.Universidade Federal de UberlândiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Efficacy of a program of prevention and control for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in an intensive-care unit

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is endemic in most Brazilian Hospitals, and there are few studies which show the efficacy of control measures in such situations. This study evaluated intensive care unit (ICU) patients, in two years divided in control, intervention and post-intervention group. Intervention measures: hands-on educational programs for healthcare workers; early identification of MRSA infected or colonized patients, labeled with a bed-identification tag for contact isolation; nasal carriers, patients, and healthcare professionals treated with topical mupirocin for five days. The hospital infection rates in the control period were compared to the ones in the post-intervention period. Hospital infection rates were found by means of the NNISS methodology The incidence coefficients of MRSA hospital infection (monthly average of 1,000 pts/day) in the control, intervention and post-intervention groups were respectively: 10.2, 5.1 and 2.5/1,000 pts/day (p<0.001) and MRSA-originated bloodstream infections were 3.6, 0.9 and 1.8/1,000 central venous catheter/day (p=0.281). Nasal colonization in both intervention and post-intervention periods was of 30.9% and 22.1% among the hospitalized patients, respectively 54.4% and 46.1% of whom were already MRSA-positive when admitted to the unit. In the intervention period, most of those MRSA infected patients (76.2%) were nasal carrier. Mortality rates were, respectively 26.6%; 27.3% and 21.0% (p<0.001). Nasal carriers, both patients (93.7%) and healthcare professionals (88.2%), were successfully treated with topical mupirocin. Intervention measures for the prevention and control of MRSA infections in ICUs, have been efficient in the reduction of the bloodstream and MRSA-originated hospital infections incidence, and reduced the overall mortality rate significantly.Taubaté UniversityFederal University of Rio Grande do NorteFederal University of São PauloUNIFESPSciEL

How to implement the airborne infection isolation room in health-care settings with occupational risk for Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission?

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Escola de Enfermagem Departamento de Enfermagem BásicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de Doenças Infecciosas e ParasitáriasUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de Doenças Infecciosas e ParasitáriasSciEL