Evaluation of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes survival in table salt and crosscontamination effect

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Table salt as vehicle for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes cross-contamination

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O trabalho em radioterapia : profissionais, práticas e dinâmicas

Esta investigação teve como objetivo geral contribuir para o aprofundamento do conhecimento acerca da atividade desenvolvida na área da radioterapia. Procurou-se, particularmente, conhecer e analisar a estrutura organizacional de uma unidade de radioterapia e as dinâmicas dos seus profissionais, compreender como é que os profissionais de radioterapia avaliam as suas condições de trabalho e, ainda, conhecer de que modo gerenciam, individualmente e coletivamente, as obrigações e os recursos disponíveis a fim de responder aos objetivos de segurança. Esta investigação, de índole qualitativa, contou com a participação de oito trabalhadores da área de radioterapia, que pertencem a uma organização que presta serviços médicos no setor público e no setor privado. Para o alcance dos objetivos de investigação foram desenvolvidas, no contexto de trabalho dos participantes, entrevistas semiestruturadas. Esta investigação permitiu corroborar resultados de estudo anteriores, sobretudo desenvolvidos na última década em França, e contribuiu para a construção de conhecimento acerca da atividade real destes profissionais. Concluiu-se que nesta área a relação entre o trabalho prescrito e o trabalho real é fortemente mediada quer por imprevistos e dilemas, quer pelos recursos existentes. Tornou ainda evidente que o trabalho em equipa é central na atividade, nomeadamente, pela possibilidade de, em conjunto, debaterem dilemas, validarem opções, reconhecendo-o como elemento determinante na qualidade do serviço prestado. No que se refere à eficácia dos tratamentos prestados e à manutenção dos níveis de segurança dos mesmos, registou-se uma relação positiva, assim como, a perceção dos trabalhadores acerca dos seus níveis de segurança e da qualidade dos tratamentos que prestam.The general goal of this research was to contribute to deepen the knowledge about the activity developed in radiotherapy’s field. The attempt was, particularly, to understand and analyze the organisational structure of a radiotherapy unit and the dynamics of its professionals, how they assess their working conditions and also know how they manage, individually and collectively, the obligations and available resources, in order to meet security standards. This research, qualitative in its nature, counted with the participation of eight workers in the radiotherapy’s field, who belonged to an organisation providing medical services both in the public and private sectors. In order to achieve the research goals, semi-structured interviews were performed within the participants working environment. This investigation allowed us to corroborate the results of previous studies, particularly those developed throughout the last decade in France, and contributed to the construction of knowledge about the actual activity of these professionals. We have come to the conclusion that, in this specific area, the relationship between the prescribed work and real work is strongly mediated by unforeseen events, dilemmas and by existing resources. It became notorious that team work is central to this activity, in particular, the possibility of discussing dilemmas, validating options and recognizing this as a determinant factor to the quality of the service. On what concerns the efficacy of the performed treatments and the maintenance of security levels, there positive correlation. The workers themselves perceive the safety and quality of the healthcare service they provide

From chicken to salad: cooking salt as a potential vehicle of Salmonella spp. and listeria monocytogenes cross-contamination

Epidemiological studies show that improper food handling practices at home account for a significant portion of foodborne illness cases. Mishandling of raw meat during meal preparation is one of the most frequent hazardous behaviours reported in observational research studies that potentially contributes to illness occurrence, particularly through the transfer of microbial pathogens from the raw meat to ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. This study evaluated the transfer of two major foodborne pathogens, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes, from artificially contaminated chicken meat to lettuce via cooking salt (used for seasoning) during simulated domestic handling practices. Pieces of chicken breast fillets were spiked with five different loads (from ca. 1 to 5 Log CFU/g) of a multi-strain cocktail of either S. enterica or L. monocytogenes. Hands of volunteers (gloved) contaminated by handling the chicken, stirred the cooking salt that was further used to season lettuce leaves. A total of 15 events of cross-contamination (three volunteers and five bacterial loads) were tested for each pathogen. Immediately after the events, S. enterica was isolated from all the cooking salt samples (n = 15) and from 12 samples of seasoned lettuce; whereas L. monocytogenes was isolated from 13 salt samples and from all the seasoned lettuce samples (n = 15). In addition, S. enterica and L. monocytogenes were able to survive in artificially contaminated salt (with a water activity of 0.49) for, at least, 146 days and 126 days, respectively. The ability of these foodborne pathogens to survive for a long time in cooking salt, make it a good vehicle for transmission and cross-contamination if consumers do not adopt good hygiene practices when preparing meals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relatório de estágio : mestrado em análises clínicas

Relatório de estágio em Análises Clínicas, apresentado à Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Coimbra

Table salt as vehicle for Campylobacter spp. cross-contamination

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of the biotic effects of cephalexin on clinical strains of staphylococcus aureus and enterococcus faecalis isolated from a polymicrobial infection

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Revisão narrativa da literatura: a Teoria de sistemas de Betty Neuman

Poster apresentado nas II Jornadas de Enfermagem da Escola Superior de Saúde da Egas Moniz. Caparica, Portugal, 20-21 de Fevereiro de 2020N/

Revisão narrativa da literatura: A teoria de sistemas de Betty Neuman

Abstract de comunicação apresentada nas II Jornadas de Enfermagem da Escola Superior de Saúde Egas Moniz, realizadas no Campus da ESSEM, Monte de Caparica, nos dias 20 e 21 de Fevereiro de 2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cross-contamination of lettuce with Campylobacter spp. via cooking salt during handling raw poultry

Campylobacter spp. are the most common bacterial pathogens associated with human gastroenteritis in industrialized countries. Contaminated chicken is the food vehicle associated with the majority of reported cases of campylobacteriosis, either by the consumption of undercooked meat or via cross- contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods during the handling of contaminated raw chicken parts and carcasses. Our results indicate that cooking salt (used for seasoning) is a potential vehicle for Campylobacter spp. cross-contamination from raw chicken to lettuce, through unwashed hands after handling contaminated chicken. Cross-contamination events were observed even when the chicken skin was contaminated with low levels of Campylobacter spp. (ca. 1.48 Log CFU/g). The pathogen was recovered from seasoned lettuce samples when raw chicken was contaminated with levels ≥ 2.34 Log CFU/g. We also demonstrated that, once introduced into cooking salt, Campylobacter spp. are able to survive in a culturable state up to 4 hours. After six hours, although not detected following an enrichment period in culture medium, intact cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. These findings reveal a "novel"indirect cross-contamination route of Campylobacter in domestic settings, and a putative contamination source to RTE foods that are seasoned with salt, that might occur if basic food hygiene practices are not adopted by consumers when preparing and cooking poultry dishes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio