Gram-negative infection has been linked to hospital water although few studies have examined whether water systems are reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens. This study investigated longitudinal recovery of the opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Acinetobacter baumannii from water outlets of a haematology unit and evaluated Point-Of-Use Filtration (POU-F) as a control measure. In a two-year double cross-over trial, water samples and swabs were taken weekly from 39 showers/taps on the unit. Four study phases alternated between non-filtered (Phases 1 & 3), and filtered outlets (Phases 2 & 4) using Pall AquasafeTM 14-day filters. In Phases 1 & 3; 99% of 1396 samples yielded bacterial growth, with colonies generally too numerous to count. Target species were isolated from 22% of water samples (P. aeruginosa 14%; S. maltophilia 10%) and 10% of swabs. P. aeruginosa was particularly associated with handwash stations and S. maltophilia with showers. A. baumannii was not isolated. With POU-F; 22% of 1242 samples yielded bacterial growth (mean CFU/100ml ,4.6). S. maltophilia was isolated only once from water but never from outlet swabs. PCR typing identified clusters of isolates colonizing different outlets over time but no clear association between water and patient isolates was identified. The incidence of Gram negative infections remained low throughout the study. Without POU-F, water from taps/showers represented a source of bacteria including the target species. POU-F substantially reduced the frequency and number of target species from every outlet, and merits further investigation as an intervention to protect immunocompromised patients from opportunistic pathogens. / School of Life Sciences, University of Bradford and Pall Medical (Pall Europe Ltd)

Introduktion: Vårdrelaterade infektioner, VRI:er, är ett stort hälsoproblem i Sverige. Genom att förebygga de undvikbara infektioner som drabbar patienter på våra sjukhus skulle vi kunna frigöra uppemot 200 000 vårddygn och 2,2 miljarder kronor per år. PVK:er står för en oklar del av dessa infektioner. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka faktorer som kan påverka förekomsten av PVK-relaterade infektioner. Metod: en systematisk litteraturöversikt med kvalitativ ansats. Originalstudier som svarade mot studiens syfte söktes i databaserna Ci-nahl och Pubmed, med kriterier att de skulle vara publicerade de senaste 10 åren. Narrativ analys i form av koncentrering och kategorisering av resultatet med en sammanställning i text. Resultat: Tolv studier inkluderades i översikten. Huvudfynden kan sammanfattas som att klorhexidinsprit är bättre än povidonjod, injektionsmembran behöver desinfekteras för att kunna rekommenderas, heparin är inte bättre än natriumklorid för att förebygga komplikat-ioner, valet av förband påverkar inte komplikationsförekomsten och att PVK:er bör bytas på klinisk indikation. Slutsats: Det som genomgående lyfts i de inkluderade studierna är att det saknas underlag för att fastställa förekomsten av PVK-relaterad bakteriemi. Denna litteraturö-versikt visar att för att minska förekomsten av PVK-relaterade infektioner bör klorhexidinsprit användas som desinfektionsmedel och PVK:er bytas på klinisk indikation. Det som tydligt framkommit är att PVK-relaterade infektioner är ett understuderat ämne, det behövs stora stu-dier som mäter förekomsten av infektionerna för att sedan med ytterligare studier kunna mäta effekten av olika interventioner. / Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections, HAI’s, are a major health problem in Sweden. By preventing the avoidable infections that affect patients in our hospitals, we could free up to 200,000 care days and 2.2 billion SEK yearly. PVC’s account for an unclear proportion of these infections. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate which factors may affect the occurrence of PVC-related infections. Method: a systematic literature review with a qualitative approach. Original studies that responded to the purpose of the study were searched in the data-bases Cinahl and Pubmed, with criteria that they should have been published in the last 10 years. Narrative analysis in the form of concentration and categorization of the results with a compilation in text. Results: Twelve studies were included in the review. The main findings can be summarized as that chlorhexidine alcohol is better than povidone-iodine, injection membranes need to be disinfected to be recommended, heparin is not better than sodium chloride for preventing complications, the choice of dressing does not affect the occurrence of compli-cations and that PVC’s should be changed on clinical indication. Conclusion: What is consistently highlighted in the included studies is that there is a lack of evidence to determine the occurrence of PVC-related bacteraemia. This literature review shows that in order to reduce PVC-related infections, chlorhexidine alcohol should be used as a disinfectant and that PVC’s are to be changed on clinical indication. What has clearly emerged is that PVC-related infections are an understudied topic, large studies are needed that measure the occurrence of the infections in order to then be able to measure the effect of various interventions with further studies.

Yes / Infection by pathogenic bacteria on implanted and indwelling medical devices during surgery causes large morbidity and mortality worldwide. Attempts to ameliorate this important medical issue have included development of antimicrobial surfaces on materials, “no touch” surgical procedures, and development of materials with inherent low pathogen attachment. The search for new materials is increasingly being carried out by high throughput methods. Efficient methods for extracting knowledge from these large data sets are essential. Data from a large polymer microarray exposed to three clinical pathogens is used to derive robust and predictive machine-learning models of pathogen attachment. The models can predict pathogen attachment for the polymer library quantitatively. The models also successfully predict pathogen attachment for a second-generation library, and identify polymer surface chemistries that enhance or diminish pathogen attachment. / CSIRO Advanced Materials Transformational Capability Platform. Newton Turner Award for Exceptional Senior Scientists. Wellcome Trust. Grant Number: 085245. NIH. Grant Number: R01 DE016516

Background: Healthcare workers’ hand hygiene remains a key pillar because it prevents and controls healthcare associated infections. Healthcare Workers’ hand hygiene compliance is suboptimal. Aim: The study developed contextualised guidelines for Healthcare Workers’ hand hygiene and infection control in patient care. Methods: The Precede-Proceed model with Theory of Planned Behaviour guided the study. The study was conducted following the mixed methodology approach, observational survey, exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature study with mixed thematic analyses in a research wheel process. Data were collected through direct participant observation of hand hygiene opportunities through observing (n=95 Healthcare Workers; n=570 practices). Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from Healthcare workers (n=189) regarding challenges they faced in achieving hand hygiene. Structured interviews were conducted with patients (n=574). Retrospective reviews of healthcare associated infections and their associated mortalities were carried out from mortality records. Data were analysed retrospectively. Partly the data were statistically and mixed thematically analysed. Guidelines were developed using intervention alignment throughout, mapping, matching, pooling, patching and validation corroborated with Precede-Proceed models’ best practices. The study was ethically reviewed and approved by University of South Africa and the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe project numbers, 6067662 and MRCZ/B/208. Results: Hand hygiene non-compliances were mostly found in the following contexts, after touching patients’ surroundings, and before doing an aseptic procedure. A non-hand hygiene compliance of Healthcare workers 167(29.3%) and compliance 403(70.7%) in context was suboptimal with sad patients and challenges faced by Healthcare workers. Conclusion: Healthcare Workers had gaps in hand hygiene compliance and availability of required resources. Gaps were also noted in ongoing hand hygiene promotion educational strategies and guidelines to comply and prevent. Guidelines to enhance hand hygiene included, attend to hand hygiene strictly after touching patient surroundings, bed linen, lockers and curtains to prevent gastroenteritis; follow standard precautions against HCAIs from spreading to patients' environments; and comply with hand hygiene guidelines, policies and regulations for best practice with patients. The study contributes generalisable knowledge. / Health Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Health Studies)

Les complications respiratoires restent la première cause des complications postopératoiresen chirurgie thoracique oncologique. Le développement des ces complications sont le plussouvent de nature infectieuse. Leur fréquence reste élevée (30 %) et représente la premièrecause de mortalité hospitalière. Des données récentes suggèrent que ces complicationsrespiratoires soient liées à une colonisation périopératoire des voies aériennes. Plusieurstravaux fondés sur l’analyse phénotypique de mise en culture traditionnelle démontrentl’existence d’une colonisation bronchique proximale chez près de 40 % des malades.Néanmoins, les liens entre colonisation et complications respiratoires restent controversés.Une des principales limites demeure les méthodes de cultures employées qui ne permettentl’identification que d’une faible partie (< 1%) des espèces microbiologiques potentiellementexistantes dans la biosphère. Nous avons formulé l’hypothèse que des techniques debiologie moléculaire d’amplification universelle des ADN présents dans les échantillonssuivies du clonage des produits de PCR et du séquençage de ces clones, appliquées à deséchantillons obtenus des bronches distales et de biopsies pulmonaires, permettraientl’identification de pathogènes bactériens, viraux ou émergents. Nos résultats suggèrent quel’identification précise et exhaustive de ces colonisations ne peut être réalisée que par uneapproche moléculaire moderne, innovante et systématique. Cette approche permetd’envisager, d’une part, un lien plus précis entre colonisation et complications respiratoires etd’autre part, l’identification de pathogènes difficilement cultivables ou émergents. / Postoperative respiratory complications remain the most frequent and seriouscomplications, as well as being the primary cause of hospital death after thoracic oncologicsurgery. Their incidence is relatively high and concern near 30 % of patients submitted forsurgery. These complications are notoriously infectious and airways colonizations (AWC)have been suggested to be an essential first step in the pathogenesis of this respiratorymorbidity. Previous studies have documented that AWC are presents in near 40 % of cases.However, correlation between AWC and respiratory complications remains controversial.One of the limits is the traditional phenotypic methods of cultures that precludes for definitiveconclusions when considering that majority of microbiological species required modern andinnovating techniques of culture to be identified. Recent data have demonstrated that 99% oforganisms seen microscopically are not cultivated by routine techniques and requiredmolecular techniques to be identified. We have postulated that instead of culture test,molecular detection (DNA genes amplification and sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomalRNA) applied to distal bronchial samples or to lung biopsies, should allow identifyingbacteria, virus or emerging pathogens. Our results suggest that molecular cultureindependenttechniques applied in the context of AWC will provide in the future a greatopportunity to precise correlation between colonization and respiratory complications and tothe other hand, to discover new and/or emerging pathogens that are currently unknown.

En dépit de nombreux essais thérapeutiques, les syndromes septiques sont la première cause de mortalité en service de soins intensifs. La population septique étant très hétérogène, une meilleure caractérisation des patients serait essentielle afin de mieux individualiser et cibler les thérapeutiques potentiellement bénéfiques. Une approche multiparamétrique de l’utilisation des biomarqueurs est une alternative qui viserait à appréhender la situation de manière plus globale. Notre travail s’inscrit dans ce contexte au travers de l’étude plus spécifique de la défaillance des systèmes cardio-vasculaire et immunitaire. Au-delà de la confirmation de l’intérêt des biomarqueurs présentement étudiés (prohormones cardio-vasculaires et PD-1) dans la prédiction de la mortalité et du risque d’infections nosocomiales, nos résultats apportent des éléments nouveaux. Nous avons montré que (1) la sur-expression des molécules PD-1 est associée à l’énergie leucocytaire, (2) un même biomarqueur peut apporter une information différente au cours du temps, (3) l’information apportée par l’analyse simultanée de deux biomarqueurs est supérieure à celle de la somme de leurs valeurs individuelles, et (4) l’expression dynamique d’un biomarqueur est meilleure que son expression à un temps donné. Au total, notre travail illustre l’intérêt potentiel d’un panel de biomarqueurs pour mieux appréhender la complexité des états septiques et leur rapide évolution. Il reste néanmoins à développer des outils biostatistiques capables de donner au clinicien une vision globale en temps réel des processus en cours. Cela constituera une étape clé pour mieux stratifier et cibler les prochains essais cliniques dans le domaine. / Septic syndromes remain the leading cause of death in the intensive care units despite numerous clinical trials. Septic patients constitute a very heterogeneous population. Therefore improved characterisation of patients in order to better target and personalize potential new therapeutics is highly desirable. A multiparametric biomarker-based approach could be an attractive alternative to obtain a global view of the pathophysiologic situation. In this context, we worked specifically on cardio-vascular and immune dysfunctions. We first confirmed the predictive value of biomarkers for mortality or nosocomial infections, and showed new elements. We observed that (1) PD-1 overexpression is associated with leukocyte anergy, (2) one biomarker could give different information over time, (3) information provided by the association of two biomarkers is more interesting than the addition of their individual values, and (4) dynamic expression of one biomarker is more informative than its expression at a given time point. Finally, our results illustrate the potential interest of biomarker panels to improve our understanding of the septic syndrome complexity and to reflect their rapid evolution. Consequently, next step will depend on our capacity to develop biostatistic tools that enable clinicians to get, in real time, a global view of the process over time. This key step is likely necessary to decrease the heterogeneity of septic patient population in order to better stratify and target next clinical trials in the field.

Le genre Pneumocystis désigne un groupe de champignons opportunistes présentant une étroite spécificité d'hôte. Il détermine lors d'immunodépression sévère une infection pulmonaire grave, la pneumonie à Pneumocystis (PPC). La transmission de Pneumocystis par voie aérienne d'un hôte développant une PPC à un hôte susceptible a été démontrée à l'aide des modèles murins. Les travaux menés chez la souris ont montré également que des sujets immunocompétents colonisés par Pneumocystis murina peuvent transmettre le champignon à des souris immunodéprimées qui développeront une PPC ultérieurement. Les individus colonisés par Pneumocystis sp., ainsi que ceux développant une PPC, participeraient au réservoir du champignon. La survenue de cas groupés de PPC en milieu hospitalier est en faveur de la transmission interindividuelle de Pneumocystis jirovecii (P.jirovecii) chez l’homme. La détection de l'ADN de P.jirovecii dans l'air exhalé par les patients développant une PPC suggère que cette transmission se fait par voie aérienne. La caractérisation des populations infectées par P.jirovecii et la caractérisation génotypique du champignon au sein de son réservoir humain constituent la base de ce travail de recherche. Nous avons montré que la prévalence de la colonisation par P.jirovecii est faible chez les patients atteints de mucoviscidose et suivis dans notre CHU. La participation de ces patients au réservoir de P.jirovecii à Brest serait donc marginale. Cette faible prévalence pourrait être le reflet d'une faible circulation du champignon dans les communautés humaines dans notre région. Nous avons évalué le dosage du ß-1,3-D glucane sérique pour dépister les populations infectées. Ce dosage couplé à la détection de P.jirovecii dans les prélèvements respiratoires par la microscopie et la PCR, permet de différencier les patients développant une PPC et les patients présentant une colonisation pulmonaire par P.jirovecii. De plus, les premières données sur le ß-1,3-D glucane au cours de la primo-infection chez le nourrisson ont été obtenues.En termes de caractérisation de P.jirovecii dans notre région, l'analyse du locus dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) a montré que: i) le lieu habituel de résidence plutôt que le lieu de diagnostic de l’infection à P.jirovecii serait un facteur prédictif d’infection par un mutant, ii) P.jirovecii pourrait circuler en France d’une région à une autre via des voyageurs infectés, iii) la prévalence de mutants potentiellement résistants chez les patients vivant effectivement à Brest était de 0%. L'analyse des séquences des "internal transcribed spacers" (ITS) 1 et 2 de P. jirovecii conforte l'hypothèse que les patients développant une PPC et les patients colonisés sont infectés par des populations fongiques présentant des caractéristiques identiques. Tous les patients, quelle que soit la présentation clinique de leur infection, constitueraient un réservoir unique et commun de P.jirovecii. Les travaux de génotypage ont constitué l'étape préalable nécessaire à l'analyse de cas groupés d'infections à P.jirovecii survenus chez des patients transplantés rénaux au CHU de Brest. Nous avons apporté des données originales sur le rôle des patients colonisés en tant que source potentielle de P. jirovecii dans un contexte d'acquisition et de transmission nosocomiales du champignon. Par ailleurs, la concordance partielle ou complète des génotypes ITS et DHPS dans les couples "prélèvements d'air–LBA" réalisés chez des patients développant une PPC est compatible avec l’exhalation du champignon et sa diffusion aérienne dans l’environnement hospitalier. Ces données apportent des arguments pour l'application de mesures de prévention des infections nosocomiales à P. jirovecii. Les précautions "gouttelettes" recommandées par la Société Française d'Hygiène Hospitalière devraient être appliquées a minima aux patients développant une PPC. Nous proposons leur extension aux patients colonisés par le champignon. / The genus Pneumocystis represents a group of opportunistic fungi that show strong host specificity. It is the cause of severe pneumonia (Pneumocystis Pneumonia [PCP]) in immunocompromised subjects. Pneumocystis transmission from a host with PCP to another susceptible host via the airborne route has been demonstrated in rodent models. Moreover, it has been established that Pneumocystis murina can be transmitted from immunocompetent mice, transiently colonized by the fungus, to immunocompromised susceptible mice that subsequently develop PCP. Colonized subjects and those developing PCP may be part of the fungus reservoir. Reports of PCP case cluster in hospital strongly suggest that Pneumocystis jirovecii (P.jirovecii) transmission in humans may also occur. P.jirovecii DNA detection in the air surrounding PCP patients is consistent with the transmission of P.jirovecii via the airborne route.Our goals were to characterize human populations infected with P.jirovecii and to characterize P.jirovecii within its human reservoir. We showed that P.jirovecii was rarely involved in pulmonary colonization in patients with cystic fibrosis monitored in the Brest Hospital. Thus this patient population was not part of the human reservoir of the fungus in our region (Brittany, Western France). This low prevalence of colonization may reflect a low level of P.jirovecii circulation within human communities in Brittany. In order to improve the identification of patients infected with P.jirovecii, we evaluated ß-1,3-D glucan detection in serum samples. We showed that serum ß-1,3-D glucan levels combined with P.jirovecii detection in pulmonary samples using microscopic examination and a PCR assay make it possible to distinguish between PCP and pulmonary colonization. Moreover the first data on ß-1,3-D glucan levels during primary infection were obtained.In order to characterize P.jirovecii in our region, we performed the typing of P.jirovecii isolates from infected patients monitored at Brest hospital, using the dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and 2 locus analysis. DHPS typing showed that i) the usual city of patient residence rather that the city in which the diagnosis of P.jirovecii infection has been made is a predictor of mutants, ii) mutants can be imported from one region to another through infected visitors, iii) the prevalence of mutants potentially resistant to sulfonamides was 0% in patients who effectively lived in the Brest geographic area. Results of ITS analysis in PCP patients and colonized patients are consistent with the hypothesis that these 2 patient groups are infected with similar P.jirovecii populations. All infected patients, whatever their clinical presentation, may be part of a common and unique reservoir of the fungus. We investigated an outbreak of P.jirovecii infections in 18 renal transplant recipients using the same typing method combined with patient encounter analysis. The results provided evidence of the role of colonized patients as potential sources of P.jirovecii. The same typing method was applied to pairs of pulmonary samples and room air samples of PCP patients. Full or partial matches of P.jirovecii types in pulmonary and air sample pairs were observed. These results are consistent with P.jirovecii exhalation by PCP patients in their close environment. These data support arguments for applying droplet precautions, at least to PCP patients, to prevent P.jirovecii transmission, as recommended by the "Société française d'hygiène hospitalière". We suggest extending droplet precautions to colonized patients to achieve the prevention of P.jirovecii nosocomial infections.

The threat of antimicrobial resistance particularly in the intensive care unit has become a global issue. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship in limiting the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the hospital’s ICU. The study further determined the deficiencies of the ASP and recommended strategies to remedy the identified deficiencies. A quasi-experimental descriptive quantitative design was used in this study. The study was conducted at the intensive care unit of an academic hospital. A structured questionnaire was used to extract information from patients’ medical records. This evaluation showed that the antimicrobial stewardship program had a sufficient impact on the appropriate use of antimicrobials in the hospital’s ICU. While there were a small (19.05 %) number of patients inappropriately prescribed antimicrobials, a moderate (35.59%) number of patients developed hospital acquired infections during the study period. In addition, the results revealed a lack of the facility’s leadership commitment to antimicrobial stewardship, which is crucial for ensuring the availability of human, financial and information technology resources Through the evaluation of the program the deficiency in the program’s performance can be identified and optimised. For the studied facility, the performance of the program could be improved by gaining the support of the facility leadership. The present study endorses the evaluation of health promotion initiatives to improve patients’ safety and outcome in healthcare institutions. Keywords / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Os materiais de uso único (MUU) são utilizados há décadas na assistência à saúde. Inicialmente produzidos com a finalidade de prontamente disponibilizar os materiais para uso na assistência a saúde e ao mesmo tempo diminuir a sobrecarga com o trabalho inerente ao reprocessamento dos materiais. Com o passar do tempo, principalmente por questões financeiras, estes passaram a ser reutilizados. A partir de então diversos questionamentos têm sido suscitados a respeito do risco de transmissão de infecção pelo reuso destes artigos em decorrência da dificuldade para de limpeza, desinfecção e esterilização seguras destes. Os materiais utilizados para as cirurgias vídeo-laparoscópicas encontram-se entre os MUU de preço considerável e complexidade importante em relação às dificuldades para limpeza, devido à sua conformação com espaços internos inacessíveis e impossibilidade de desmonte. Isto posto, as pinças grasper, dissector, tesoura, agulha de Veress, sistema de sonda de eletrocirurgia (ou aspirador e irrigador) e sua respectiva haste, instrumentais básicos nos procedimentos de vídeo-cirurgia-laparoscópica, foram o objeto desta investigação com o propósito de avaliar a eficácia da esterilidade destes acessórios de uso único após contaminação artificial desafio e comparar os resultados dos testes de esterilidade dos MUU com os dos materiais equivalentes reprocessáveis – denominados neste estudo como grupo controle. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa experimental, laboratorial e comparativa. O inóculo utilizado para a contaminação artificial dos instrumentais de uso único constituiu-se de suspensão de esporos bacterianos do Bacillus atrophaeus var. niger e de sangue de carneiro desfibrinado esterilizado. Para o grupo controle o microrganismo eleito foi o Geobacillus stearothermophilus acrescido também de sangue de carneiro desfibrinado. Antes de proceder aos experimentos validou-se a metodologia analítica em duas fases: fase 1 - realizada a contagem de U.F.C. em três unidades de cada um dos materiais dos grupos experimental e controle após a contaminação artificial antecedendo a limpeza; fase 2 - realizada a contagem de U.F.C. em três unidades de cada um dos materiais dos grupos experimental e controle após a contaminação artificial e procedimento de limpeza. Desta forma, assegurada a recuperação dos contaminantes em todas as amostras da primeira fase e a diminuição do bioburden inicial após a limpeza dos instrumentais na 2ª fase, deu-se prosseguimento aos experimentos. Os materiais laparoscópicos foram intencionalmente contaminados com o inóculo desafio e submetidos após ao protocolo teste para validação que consistiu da seguinte seqüência: limpeza automatizada em lavadora ultra-sônica com retrofluxo com auxílio do detergente enzimático, limpeza manual complementar com serpilhos e irrigação dos lumens dos instrumentais com água sob pressão. Por fim, foi realizado o enxágüe com água destilada esterilizada, secagem com ar comprimido medicinal, acondicionamento em embalagem de papel grau cirúrgico e filme e submetidos a esterilização em Óxido de Etileno 12/88 (materiais de uso único) e em autoclave (materiais de aço inoxidável). Os materiais esterilizados foram inoculados diretamente nos meios de cultura de caseína soja e incubados por 20 dias quando foi feita a leitura final dos resultados das culturas. Os resultados encontrados foram 100% negativos para a recuperação dos microrganismos contaminantes nos 2 grupos - experimental e controle. Estes achados permitiram concluir que o reprocessamento dos materiais de uso único foi validado em relação à esterilidade permitindo chegar a um protocolo de reprocessamento / Single use devices (SUD) have been used in healthcare for decades. They were initially produced for making them readily available for use in healthcare and at the same time lower the inherent workload for device reprocessing. After time, mainly for financial reasons, they became reused. Since then, several questioning has been raised regarding to the risk of infection transmission by reusing these devices due to their difficulty of safe cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. Devices used for videosurgeries are among the SUD of considerable price and important complexity due to cleaning difficulties, because of their adjustments in inaccessible inner spaces and impossibility of taking them out into pieces. Thus, grasper calipers, dissecting forceps, scissors, Veress insuflation needle, electrosurgery probe system (or suction and irrigation tubes) and its respective dissector cannula, basic devices in videosurgery laparoscopic procedures were all the subject of investigation aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of sterility of these single use products after challenged artificial contamination and comparing the results of sterility tests of SUD to their equivalent reprocessed devices – named in this study as control group. It’s a comparative, laboratory experimental research. The inoculum used for artificial contamination of single use devices was the suspension of Bacillus atrophaeus var. niger bacteria spores and sterilized defibrinated sheep blood. For the control group, the elected strain was Geobacillus stearothermophilus adding also the defibrinated sheep blood. Before carrying out the experiments, the analytical methodology was validated in two phases: phase 1 – counting the colony formation units in three units of each one of the devices from the experimental and control groups after the artificial contamination and cleaning procedures. This way, assured the contaminant recovery in all samples of the 1st phase and the reduction of initial bioburden after device cleaning in the 2nd phase, it was carried on the experiments. The laparoscopic devices were intentionally contaminated with challenged inoculum and submitted after the trial test to validation that was consisted of the following sequence: cleaning in automated narrow-lumen cleaner with enzymatic detergent, complementary manual cleaning with brush and lumen washing of devices with water under pressure. At last, it was made rinsing with sterile distillated water, drying with medical compressed air, packing in surgical paper and film wrapping and submitted to sterilization in ethylene oxide 12/88 (single use devices) and in autoclave (stainless steel devices). The sterilized devices were contaminated directly in the casein soy media and incubated for 20 days when it was made the final reading of media results. The outcomes found were 100% negative for recovering of contamination strains in the 2 groups – the experimental and the control. These findings permitted us to conclude that single use device reprocessing was validated regarding to sterility allowing us to get a reprocessing guideline

Submitted by Cássio da Cruz Nogueira (cassionogueirakk@gmail.com) on 2017-10-16T17:13:01Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_AspectosClinicosEpidemiologicos.pdf: 826182 bytes, checksum: ddce20f5c09300f58046d5db2a9edabb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Irvana Coutinho (irvana@ufpa.br) on 2017-10-20T13:52:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_AspectosClinicosEpidemiologicos.pdf: 826182 bytes, checksum: ddce20f5c09300f58046d5db2a9edabb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-20T13:52:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_AspectosClinicosEpidemiologicos.pdf: 826182 bytes, checksum: ddce20f5c09300f58046d5db2a9edabb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-06-13 / As infecções fúngicas têm emergido como responsáveis por infecções nosocomiais, particularmente quando associadas com co-morbidades como prematuridade, doenças hematológicas, permanência hospitalar por mais de 15 dias, entre outras. Com a finalidade de avaliar a ocorrência de candidemia em pacientes da neonatologia e da pediatria internados em hospital público em Belém do Pará, Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará (FSCMP), foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo tendo como base de investigação todas as culturas realizadas no hospital de janeiro de 1999 a dezembro de 2004. De um total de 2.622 culturas, apenas cinco com isolamento para C. albicans, de pacientes da pediatria e neonatologia. Vale ressaltar que não foi identificada nenhuma outra espécie de Candida. As crianças tinham entre 0 e 9 meses, e todas foram submetidas a procedimentos cirúrgicos. Ocorreram outras infecções hospitalares concomitantes às candidemias. Entre os sinais e sintomas apresentados no momento da colheita da hemocultura observamos que taquipnéia e febre foram os mais freqüentes. Anemia e leucocitose foram os achados laboratoriais predominantes. Alguns fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de candidemia foram identificados como antibioticoterapia, cirurgias, transfusão de sangue, e uso de bloqueador de H2, cateter venoso central, sonda oro-gástrica. Dentre os antimicrobianos utilizados observamos que antibióticos de amplo espectro, como ceftazidima, imipenem, vancomicina, foram utilizados na maioria dos casos (4/5). O tempo médio de permanência hospitalar foi de 55 dias, e três pacientes permaneceram internados na UTI. Este trabalho reflete um isolamento baixo de Candida sp em crianças internadas na FSCMP, sugerindo uma melhoria nos testes empregados para culturas de fungos. / The fungals infections have been emerging as responsible for nosocomial infections, particularly when associates with morbities as prematureness, blood diseases, hospitable stay for more than 15 days, come in another. With the purpose of evaluating candidemia occurrence in patients of neonates and of the pediatrics put into hospital in public hospital in Belém / Pará, Fundação Santa Casa of Misericórdia from Pará (FSCMP), was accomplished a retrospective study having as investigation base all the cultures accomplished in hospital from January 1999 to December 2004. Of a total of 2.622 cultures, just five with C. albicans isolation of pediatrics and neonates patients. It is worth stress that it was not identified no other species of Candida. The children had between 0 until 9 months, and all of them were submitted for surgical procedures. Occurring other concomitant hospitable infections to candidemias. Among signals and symptoms introduced at the moment of the isolation of Candida note that respiratory disfunction and fever were the most frequent. Anemia and leukocytoses were the laboratories alterations predominant. Some risk factors for candidemia development were identified as antibiotics therapy, surgeries, blood transfusion, and use of blocking of H2, central veined catheter, probe pray-gastric. Among antibiotics used note that antibiotic of wide spectrum, like ceftazidime, imipenem, vancomycin, were used in most cases (4/5). The average time of hospitable stay belonged to 55 days, and three patient remained put into hospital in ICU. This work reflects a Candida's low isolation in children put into hospital in FSCMP, suggesting an improvement in the tests employees for mushrooms cultures.