Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-08-01Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:43:46Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 storti_a_dr_arafcf.pdf: 1083866 bytes, checksum: 46bd528115c854e2d63db0b4111bbd28 (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Os cateteres venosos centrais são muito usados nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTIs). O seu uso está freqüentemente associado a complicações incluindo infecções fatais. Durante o período de janeiro de 2004 a janeiro de 2005, foram analisadas 118 pontas de cateteres e 42 amostras de sangue provenientes de 100 pacientes hospitalizados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva de um hospital da região Noroeste do estado de São Paulo. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar, por meio de cultura e microscopia eletrônica de varredura, a colonização do cateter intravenoso central de vialon Intracath de lúmem único. Para detectar a produção de slime dos microrganismos isolados foi usado o método de Christensen et al., (1985) e o perfil de sensibilidade aos antimicrobianos de acordo com o (NCCLS-M2-A7-2000). Das 118 pontas de cateteres estudadas pelo método semi-quantitativo, 34 (28,8%) estavam colonizadas (d15 UFC/placa) em que foram isolados 55 microrganismos. Desses, 32 (58,2%) foram classificados como Gram-positivos com freqüência maior para 15 (27,3%) Staphylococcus aureus, seis (10,9%) Staphylococcus epidermidis; 19 (34,5%) classificados como Gram-negativos com freqüência maior para seis (10,9%) Acinetobacter baumannii, três (5,4%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes respectivamente e ainda quatro (7,3%) classificadas como leveduras sendo duas (3,6%) Candida albicans e duas (3,6%) Candida parapsilosis.... / The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hepatotoxicity, pharmacokinetic parameters and biotransformation of isoniazid when rats were treated with isoniazid (INH); rifampicin (RMP); and INH + RMP. Daily doses of the tuberculostatic drugs were administrated intragastrically to the animals (Wistar rats) for one period of 21 days as follow: sterile water (group I, control); INH (100mg/Kg) (group II), RMP (100mg/Kg) (group III); INH (100mg/Kg) + RMP (100mg/Kg) (group IV). The serum levels of the biomarkers aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were determined before the administration of the drugs (basal) and after the 21 days treatments. On day 21, blood samples were obtained before and 15þ; 30þ; 45þ; 60þ; 1,5; 3h; 6h; 12h and 24 hours after the dose. (five animals for each point). The blood samples were deproteinized with 10% trichloroacetic acid, derivatized by 1% cinnamaldehyde and analyzed by liquid chromatograph. For the determination of the acetylated metabolites acetylisoniazid (AcINH) and acetylhydrazine (AcHz) a previous hydrolysis with 6 M hydrochloride acid was performed. The results are presented as mean and SEM. ...(Complete abstract, click electronic address below).

Bakgrund:Kvarliggande kateter [KAD] är en behandling för akut eller kronisk urinretention och används vid sjukdomar eller vissa operationer. Samtidigt ökar KAD risk för urinvägsinfektion, vilket minskar patientsäkerheten, förlänger återhämtningstid och ökar behandlingskostnad. Förebyggande åtgärder för att minska kateterassocierad urinvägsinfektion [UVI] blir därför allt viktigare. Flera länder i Europa, Nord- och Sydamerika har gjort flertalet studier och hittat effektiva evidensbaserade förebyggande åtgärder mot kateterassocierad UVI. Utifrån säker och evidensbaserad vård skulle evidensbaserade förebyggande åtgärder tas reda på och användas för att minska kateterassocierad UVI.  Syfte:Att beskriva förebyggande åtgärder inom omvårdnad mot kateterassocierad UVI. Metod:Litteraturöversiktutifrån Polit och Becks niostegsmodell användes i urval och datainsamling till att 12 artiklar gick igenom kvalitetsgranskningen och analyserades till resultatet med induktiv ansats.  Resultat:Förebyggande åtgärder sammanställdes i tre huvudkategorier. Första huvudkategorin följ riktlinjer med underkategorierna kateterisering endast utifrån läkarordination och lämpliga indikationer, aseptisk teknik med rätt utrustning, fixering av KAD och uppsamlingspåsen samt borttagning av KAD om inga behov föreligger. Andra huvudkategorin utför kontrollrutiner med underkategorierna utför kateteriserings checklista samt kontrollera, rapportera    och dokumentera kateter dagligen. Tredje huvudkategorin etablera ett systematiskt förbättringsarbete med underkategorierna utse en eller två ansvariga personer, erbjud föreläsning och träning om kateterisering samt arrangera workshop. Slutsatser:Kateterassocierad UVI kan förebyggas om sjuksköterska uppfyller sin kompetens med hjälp av workshop, utför kateterisering enligt riktlinjer, samt hanterar och kontrollerar urinkateter enligt kontrollrutiner såsom kateteriserings checklista. / Background:An indwelling catheter is used as a treatment for acute or chronic urinary retention and is commonly used for diseases or some surgeries. At the same time, indwelling catheters increases the risk of urinary tract infections, which reduces patient safety, prolongs patient’s recovery and increases treatment costs. Several countries in Europe, North- and South America have conducted several studies that found evidence-based, effective preventive measures against catheter associated urinary tract infections. Evidence-based preventative measures should be found out and be used to decrease catheter associated urinary tract infections. Aim: To describe preventive measures in nursing against catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Method:Literature overview with Polit and Beck's nine-way model is used in selection and data collection to ensure that the 12 articles selected to the quality review were analyzed for results with an inductive approach. Results:Prevention measures were compiled into three main categories. First main category follows guidelines with subcategories catheterization only based on medical ordinance and appropriate indications, aseptic technique with proper equipment, fixation of catheter and collection bag and removal of catheter if no needs exists. Second main category performs check routines with subcategories perform catheterization checklist as well as check, report and document catheters daily. Third main category establish a systematic improvement work with subcategories appoint one or two responsible persons, offer lecture and training on catheterization and arrange workshop. Conclusions:Catheter associated urinary tract infections can be prevented if the nurse fulfills her/his competency with help of workshop, performs catheterization according to guidelines, manages and controls the urinary catheter according to control routines such as catheterization checklist.

The main criteria for managing good postoperative care include the effective and appropriate choice of pain therapy. Experiencing pain is a purely individual feeling for each of us, so it is very important to have adequate and sufficient analgesia during this period. Modern management of post-operative pain therapy uses preparations of various pharmacological groups that potentiate and thereby more effectively reduce pain. By this mechanism, we can reduce the total dose of analgesics given, and more particularly, reduce the dose of opioids that have a higher risk of side effects. In this project i want to show how the analgesic catheter could be useful as alternative possibility in algorithm therapy of postoperative pain. Analgesic catheter enable continual local anesthetics administration, exactly 0,5% bupivacaine, which is operating in surgical wound. Main goal of the study is to find out and verify if analgesic catheter is method which provides continual analgesia strong enough to results in lower use of opioids. The research data will be determined by quantitative research using a questionnaire survey. Non standardized self-production questionnaire. will be given in a paper form to non-medical healthcare staff, who perform nursing activities The spectrum of patients is very specific; they are...

Bakgrund:En Central venös kateter (CVK) är en plastkateter som mynnar i ett centralt kärl nära hjärtat och används bland annat för administrering av läkemedel och blodprodukter. Användandet av CVK ökar inom sjukvården och kan förutom på intensivvårdsavdelningarna även ses i hemsjukvården och i den övriga slutenvården. Av alla patienter som får en CVK drabbas tre till sju procent av en infektion i blodbanan och varje infektionstillfälle innebär ett ökat lidande och en förlängd sjukhusvistelse. Dessa infektioner kan förhindras genom att hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal följer evidensbaserade riktlinjer och åtgärder. Syfte: Att beskriva hur sjuksköterskan kan arbeta preventivt för att förhindra uppkomsten av infektioner i blodbanan hos patienter med central venös kateter. Metod: Studien som genomfördes var en systematisk forskningsöversikt. För att finna relevanta artiklar skapades inklusionskriterier och söktermer. Databassökningarna gjordes i databaserna Cinahl och PubMed på Sophiahemmets Högskola under mars och april 2011. En söktabell med antal träffar och inkluderade artiklar skapades för att ge en överblick och en matris med kvalitetsbedömning gjordes. Både matrisen och bedömningsunderlaget bifogades studien. Totalt inkluderades 22 artiklar, varav en hittades genom manuell sökning. Resultat: Resultatet presenterades utifrån tre olika områden: kunskap och utbildning, sammansatta interventioner samt skötsel. Olika utbildningsinsatser visade sig vara en effektiv preventiv metod för att förhindra infektion. Detta område innefattade bland annat lektioner, affischer beteendeförändring och återkoppling. Området som handlade om sammansatta interventioner visade sig även vara effektivt, vilka bestod av ett antal evidensbaserade riktlinjer som användes tillsammans. Vissa delar av skötseln av CVK hade bra effekt och gav varierande resultat. Slutsats: Utbildning ger ökad kunskap och följsamhet vilket verkar vara en elementär och effektiv metod för att förhindra uppkomst av infektion. Hur sjuksköterskan sköter patientens CVK är av stor betydelse då till exempel olika förband och antiseptiska lösningar gav varierande resultat. Vidare forskning krävs inom området och gärna fler studier från Sverige.

Bakgrund: Kvarvarande katetrar är vanligt förekommande i vården och det finns en mängd olika anledningar till att patienter ordineras dessa. Oftast sker ordinationen i samband med problem eller sjukdomar i urinvägarna. Med kvarvarande katetrar följer även en del komplikationer. Somliga komplikationer uppstår på grund av den teknik som används vid katetersättningen. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att belysa patientens upplevelse av att leva med en kvarvarande kateter. Metod: En litteraturöversikt har gjorts i denna studie. Tio stycken resultatartiklar söktes fram, nio var kvalitativa och en var kvantitativ och de har sedan analyserats och tolkats för att sedan tematiseras. Artiklarna har hämtats från databaserna CINAHL Complete, PubMed och Psyc Info. Resultat: Resultatet beskrivs i två teman som presenterar skillnaderna mellan negativa upplevelser och positiva upplevelser. Resultatet visar att katetern kunde upplevas som ett hinder i vardagen och ofta upplevde deltagarna smärta, som vid urinvägsinfektion, oro eller obehag vid läckage och blockage. Självbilden och sexualiteten kunde förändras då vissa deltagare inte längre upplevde sig själva som kvinnliga eller manliga. Några deltagare upplevde även en positiv förändring i livet då de menade att katetern bidragit till en ökad frihet och trygghetskänsla. Diskussion: Metodens styrkor och svagheter bearbetas i metoddiskussionen. I resultatdiskussionen diskuteras resultatet med vårdvetenskapligt material och valda delar av Katie Erikssons omvårdnadsteori som belyser lidandet. / Background: Indwelling catheters are common in health care and there are multiple causes why patients get them prescribed. The most common reasons for the prescription is of difficulties and or diseases in the urinary tracts. Indwelling catheters are also an cause of complications like infections, pain or other catheter problems. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the patient's experience of living with an indwelling catheter. Method: A literature review was conducted. Ten scientific articles were analyzed, interpreted, nine were qualitative and one was quantitative and then categorized into two themes. The articles were found from the databases CINAHL Complete, PubMed and Psyc Info. Results: The result presents two themes which represents the differences between the negative and the positive experiences from the patients. The result described that urinary catheter became an obstacle in the everyday life and were often the reason to urinary tract infection, anxiety, discomfort under leakage or blockage. The patients self-image and sexuality could sometimes change since some of the patients did not experienced themselves as the person they used to be before they got the urinary catheter. Some patients experienced a positive change in their life because they felt that the catheters contributed them with a sense of security and freedom. Discussion: The method's strengths and weaknesses are processed in the discussion. The result discussed articles and selected parts of Katie Eriksson nursing theory that highlights the suffering.

Master of Science / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Malgorzata Rys / Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are a source of concern in the healthcare industry because they occur more frequently than other healthcare associated infections and the rates of CAUTI have not improved in recent years. The use of urinary catheters is common among patients; between 15 and 25 percent of all hospital patients will use a urinary catheter at some point during their hospitalization (CDC, 2016). The prevalence of urinary catheters in hospitalized patients and high CAUTI occurrence rates led to the application of human factors engineering to develop a tool to help hospitals reduce CAUTI rates. Human reliability analysis techniques are methods used by human factors engineers to quantify the probability of human error in a system. A human error during a catheter insertion has the opportunity to introduce bacteria into the patient’s system and cause a CAUTI; therefore, human reliability analysis techniques can be applied to catheter insertions to determine the likelihood of a human error. A comparison of three human reliability analysis techniques led to the selection of the Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM). To predict a patient’s probability of developing a CAUTI, the human error probability found from CREAM is incorporated with several health factors that affect the patient’s risk of developing CAUTI. These health factors include gender, duration, diabetes, and a patient’s use of antibiotics, and were incorporated with the probability of human error using fuzzy logic. Membership functions were developed for each of the health factors and the probability of human error, and the centroid defuzzification method is used to find a crisp value for the probability of a patient developing CAUTI. Hospitals that implement this tool can choose risk levels for CAUTI that places the patient into one of three zones: green, yellow, or red. The placement into the zones depends on the probability of developing a CAUTI. The tool also provides specific best practice interventions for each of the zones.

Staphylococcus aureus is the causative agent of a diverse array of acute and chronic infections, and some these infections, including infective endocarditis, joint infections, and medical device-associated bloodstream infections, depend upon its capacity to form tenacious biofilms on surfaces. Inserted medical devices such as intravenous catheters, pacemakers, and artificial heart valves save lives, but unfortunately, they can also serve as a substrate on which S. aureus can form a biofilm, attributing S. aureus as a leading cause of medical device-related infections. The major aim of this work was take compounds to which S. aureus would be exposed during infection and to investigate their effects on its capacity to form a biofilm. More specifically, the project investigated the effects of serum, and thereafter of catheter lock solutions on biofilm formation by S. aureus. Pre-coating polystyrene with serum is frequently used as a method to augment biofilm formation. The effect of pre-coating with serum is due to the deposition of extracellular matrix components onto the polystyrene, which are then recognized by MSCRAMMs. We therefore hypothesized that the major component of blood, serum, would induce biofilm formation. Surprisingly, serum actually inhibited biofilm formation. The inhibitory activity was due to a small molecular weight, heat-stable, non-proteinaceous component/s of serum. Serum-mediated inhibition of biofilm formation may represent a previously uncharacterized aspect of host innate immunity that targets the expression of a key bacterial virulence factor: the ability to establish a resistant biofilm. Metal ion chelators like sodium citrate are frequently chosen to lock intravenous catheters because they are regarded as potent inhibitors of bacterial biofilm formation and viability. We found that, while chelating compounds abolished biofilm formation in most strains of S. aureus, they actually augmented the phenotype in a subset of strains. We investigated the molecular basis of this phenomenon. Deletion and complementation analysis and thereafter antibody based inhibition assays confirmed a functional role for the surface adhesin clumping factor B as the causative determinant associated with the increased biofilm phenotype. Finally, we investigated the regulation of clumping factor B-mediated biofilm formation and the basis for the strain dependence. Regulation was determined to occur via two novel post-translational networks- one affecting ClfB activity, mediated by Ca2+ binding to the EF-Hand domain, and the other affecting protein stability, mediated by the enzymatic activity of the metalloprotease-aureolysin. Polymorphisms within the aureolysin gene sequence, between strains, was identified as the basis for some strains forming robust biofilms within chelated media versus other than do not exhibit this phenotype.

The thesis is focused on the assessment of nurse's knowledge in the prevention of catheter sepsis. The aim of the study was to expertise knowledge in the prevention of catheter sepsis among nurses working in intensive care units. Map out the latest theoretical and practical possibilities of nurses working in intensive care units in the prevention of catheter-related sepsis of hospitalized patients. The work is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part consists of three chapters. In the first chapter, we focused on a theoretical overview of nosocomial and bloodstream infections. The second chapter is focused on an overview of invasive inputs. The third chapter focuses on prevention of catheter sepsis. Practical part was divided into two chapters. In the first section of the empirical part of the diploma thesis, which is the fourth chapter, we characterized the survey sample, the evaluation of the survey data that have been collected through the questionnaire. Practical part was divided into two chapters. The fifth chapter consists of discussion and suggestions. Key words: sepsis, prevention, nursing, catheter, nurse, hospitalization.

Introduction: Arterial catherer placement by a general nurse at the departments of intensive care, resuscitation and anaesthesiology is still rather exceptional, despite the fact that this competence was defined in our legal system for the first time already in 2004 by the Decree no. 424/2004 Coll. of the Ministry of Health. The authorisation to execute this highly professional operation by a nurse specialised in intensive care is generally not reflected by the employer in the job description, although it might be one of the possible ways to increase the prestige of this profession. Objectives: The main objective of the thesis was to determine the current state in the area of arterial line placement from the perspective of intensive care nurses, to quantify their interest and clarify their readiness to execute the operation. Methodology: The quantitative method of anonymous questionnaire of own design was selected for the research survey. The questionnaire was distributed in electronic way to hospitals established by the Ministry of Health, regional government or private owners. We contacted one large hospital in every region, with the exception of Prague. The research sample consisted of general nurses working at the departments of intensive care, resuscitation and anaesthesiology, who at the same...

Introdução: Na última década, desde a descrição inicial da ablação das veias pulmonares, a ablação por cateter da fibrilação atrial (FA) tem evoluído consideravelmente em eficácia e segurança, consolidando-se como opção terapêutica em pacientes selecionados com FA. No entanto, a ablação da FA é um procedimento complexo e não isento de riscos. Ainda que seja uma complicação rara, o desenvolvimento de fístulas átrio-esofágicas (FAE) é a segunda complicação responsável por morte relacionada ao procedimento e responde por 16% dos casos de morte após ablação de FA. Consensos atuais não orientam recomendações definitivas para prevenção de lesões esofágicas, consideradas lesões precursoras de FAE. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a incidência de lesões esofageanas e periesofageanas por ecoendoscopia após ablação de fibrilação atrial, utilizando diferentes estratégias de proteção esofágica durante as aplicações de radiofrequência na parede posterior do átrio esquerdo. Método: No período de outubro/2012 a julho/2014, foram estudados 45 pacientes submetidos à ablação percutânea de FA, portadores de FA paroxística ou persistente há menos de um ano. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a ablação circunferencial com isolamento elétrico das veias pulmonares, com cateter de ablação 8 mm. Antes do procedimento, os pacientes foram randomizados para uma de três estratégias de proteção esofágica durante as aplicações de radiofrequência na parede posterior do átrio esquerdo para ablação da FA: Grupo I - aplicações limite fixo e de baixa energia, 30 W; Grupo II - aplicações com energia limitada pela temperatura esofágica; GIII - aplicações com limite fixo de energia durante resfriamento esofágico contínuo. A pesquisa de lesões esofágicas/periesofágicas foi feita por ecoendoscopia realizada em até 48 horas após a ablação. Resultados: As características basais foram similares nos três grupos, não sendo encontradas diferenças significativas entre as variáveis clínicas, laboratoriais, ecocardiográficas ou ecoendoscópicas prévias, com exceção da distância átrio-esofágica pré-ablação medida pela ecoendoscopia, que foi menor no Grupo III (GI = 3,9 mm +- 0,4; GII = 3,9 mm +- 0,5; GIII = 3,4 mm +- 0,4, p = 0.002). Nas ecoendoscopias pós-ablação de FA, foram encontradas 04 lesões esofágicas/periesofágicas: duas úlceras de parede esofágica e dois casos de edemas de mediastino periesofágico. Todos os casos de lesões esofágicas/periesofágicas ocorreram no grupo de resfriamento esofágico, G III (p= 0,008). A comparação das características clínicas dos pacientes que apresentaram lesões esofágicas/periesofágicas com os que não apresentaram essas alterações, pela análise bivariada, mostrou que foram similares nos dois grupos, exceto pelos valores médios de proteína C reativa (PCR) após a ablação de fibrilação atrial, que foram significativamente maiores no grupo com lesões (Grupo sem lesões: PCR = 0,82 mg/dl; Grupo com lesões: PCR = 2,12 mg/dl, p < 0,001). A comparação dos parâmetros das ablações por regiões das veias abordadas, quanto ao tempo das aplicações de radiofrequência, a potência e a temperatura do cateter de ablação, identificou que os pacientes que apresentaram lesões esofágicas/periesofágicas tiveram maiores valores de média de potência nas aplicações realizadas na parede posterior das veias pulmonares esquerdas, que os pacientes que não tiveram lesões (Grupo sem lesões esofágicas: potência média cateter = 37,7 w; Grupo com lesões esofágicas: potência média do cateter = 48,8 w, p = 0.013). A incidência de recorrência de arritmia após um único procedimento de ablação de Fibrilação Atrial, em seguimento clínico de 11 +- 5 meses, foi de 7 casos (15.6%), sem diferença significativa entre os grupos (GI = 26,7%, GII = 13,3% e GIII = 6,7%, p = 0,305). A incidência de complicações maiores relacionadas aos procedimentos de ablação realizados foi de 2,2% (um caso de congestão pulmonar no segundo dia após o procedimento, resolvido com uso de diuréticos). Conclusão: O uso da estratégia de resfriamento esofágico durante ablação de FA foi ineficaz como estratégia preventiva de lesões esofágicas/periesofágicas na população estudada, quando comparada às estratégias de aplicações de radiofrequência com baixa energia ou de energia limitada pela temperatura esofágica / Introduction: In the last decade, since the initial description of the ablation of pulmonary veins, the atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation has evolved significantly in terms of efficacy and safety, consolidating itself as the therapeutic choice for AF selected patients. However, AF ablation is a complex procedure not without risks. Despite being a rare complication, the development of atrialesophageal fistulas (AEFs) ranks second in terms of procedure-related deaths, accounting for 16% of all post-AF ablation losses of life. Current consensus is not dispositive with regards to directives for the prevention of esophageal lesions, which come first and lead to AEFs. The objective of this work is to compare the incidence of esophageal and periesophageal lesions post-AF ablation, given use of different esophageal protection strategies during the radiofrequency applications on the left-atrium posterior wall. Method: From October 2012 through July 2014, 45 patients submitted to AF percutaneous ablation were studied. All of them were bearers of paroxistic or persistent AF for less than one year, and all of them were submitted to 8mm-catheter, pulmonary vein electric-shielding circumferential ablation. Before the procedure, patients were randomly assigned to one of three esophageal lesion protection strategies: Group I - 30w, low energy, fixed limited applications; Group II - energy applications limited by esophageal temperature; and Group III - fixed limit energy applications during continuous esophageal cooling. The survey for esophageal/periesophageal lesions was carried by means of esophageal endoscopy combined with radial ultrasound performed within 48 hours post ablation. Results: Baseline characteristics were even across groups; no significant differences in clinical, laboratorial, ecocardiographic or endoscopic variables were found, except for pre-ablation distance between posterior left atrium wall and the esophagus as measured by radial ultrasound endoscopic, smaller in Group III (GI = 3,9 mm +- 0,4; GII = 3,9 mm +- 0,5; GIII = 3,4 mm +- 0,4, p = 0.002). Post FA-ablation endoscopies revealed the existence of 4 counts of esophageal/periesophageal lesions: 2 esophageal wall ulcer and 2 periesophageal mediastin edema. All cases of esophageal/periesophageal lesions occurred in the esophageal cooling group (GIII) (p=0.008). Bivariate analysis on the clinical characteristics of patients that presented esophageal/periesophageal lesions showed no significant difference from those in the lesion-free group, except for average values for post ablation reactive-C protein (RCP), significantly greater in the lesion group (2.12 mg/dl vs. 0.82 mg/dl for the lesion-free group, p < 0.001). Ablation parameter comparison by approached vein region revealed that patients with post ablation lesions had received higher-powered applications in their posterior wall left pulmonary veins (average catheter power = 48.8 w vs. 37.7 w for lesion-free group, p=0.013). After a 11 +- 5 month clinical following, arrhythmia recurrence post a single AF ablation procedure added to 7 cases (15.6%), and no significant difference among the three different groups was found (GI = 26.7%, GII = 13.3% e GIII = 6.7%, p = 0.305). Incidence of major complications related to the ablation procedures reached 2.2% (one case of pulmonary congestion occurring in the second day post procedure, and resolved with the use of diuretics). Conclusion: The use of esophageal cooling during AF ablation was an ineffective strategy to prevent esophageal/periesophageal lesions in the studied population when compared to low-energy radiofrequency or energy limited by esophageal temperature lesion prevention strategies