Outbreak of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae at a Portuguese university hospital: Epidemiological characterization and containment measures.

Background: KPC-producing K pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) is a public health problem with important clinical and epidemiological implications. We describe an outbreak of KPC-Kp at vascular surgery and neurosurgery wards in a central hospital in Porto, Portugal. Methods: A case of KPC-Kp was considered to be a patient positive for KPC-Kp with strong epidemiological plausibility of having acquired this microorganism in the affected wards and/or with genetic relationship ≥92% between KPC-Kp isolates. Active surveillance cultures (ASCs) and real-time polymerase chain reaction were used for the detection of carbapenemase genes through rectal swab in a selected population. Molecular analysis was performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis at the National Reference Laboratory. Patient risk factors were collected from the electronic medical record system. Information regarding outbreak containment strategy was collected from the Infection Control Unit records. Results: Of the 16 cases, 11 (69%) were identified through active screening, representing 1.4% of the total 766 ASCs collected. The most frequent risk factors identified were previous admission (63%), antibiotic exposure in the past 6 months (50%), and immunodepression (44%). The length of stay until KPC-Kp detection was high (0-121 days, mean 35.6), as was the total length of stay (5-173 days, mean 56.6). Three patients (19%) were infected by KPC-Kp, 2 of whom died. One previously colonized patient died later because of KPC-Kp infection. Conclusions: Multifactorial strategy based on contact precautions (with patient and healthcare professional cohorts) and ASC, as well as Antibiotic Stewardship Program reinforcement, allowed to contain this KPC-Kp outbreak.

Habilidades motoras de cadeirantes influenciadas pelo controle de tronco / Motor skills wheelchairs influenced by trunk control

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a efetividade de um protocolo de treinamento de estabilização segmentar lombar (ESL) no controle de tronco e nas habilidades em cadeira de rodas (CR) em indivíduos paraplégicos. A amostra foi composta por 5 homens (31,2±12,9 anos) com lesão medular abaixo de T6. O deslocamento total (DT) e as amplitudes ântero-posterior (AP) e médio-lateral (ML) do centro de pressão (CP) foram analisados por meio de uma plataforma de força, em duas posições de teste (mãos no joelho e braços cruzados) e as habilidades na cadeira de rodas foram analisadas pelo Wheelchair Skills Test (WST), pré e pós protocolo de treinamento de ESL. A análise estatística foi realizada no software SPSS (15.0), utilizando o teste ANOVA para α ≤ 0,05. Na comparação pré e pós-treino, houve redução significativa do deslocamento total do CP na posição sentada com mãos nos joelhos (P<0,01) e braços cruzados (P<0,01). Não se observou mudança nas habilidades com CR do WST entre as avaliações pré e pós treinamento em nenhum dos níveis estudados. O protocolo de treinamento de ESL proposto foi efetivo para a melhora do controle de tronco, mas não modificou as habilidades no manejo de cadeira de rodas em indivíduos paraplégicos.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of a training protocol for Lumbar Segmental Stabilization (LSS) on trunk control and skills on wheelchair management (WC) in paraplegic individuals. The sample consisted of 5 men (31.2±12.9 years) with spinal cord injury below T6. The total displacement (TD) and the anteroposterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) amplitudes of center of pressure (COP) were analyzed using a force platform in two test positions (hands on knees and crossover arms). Skills in the wheelchair were analyzed by the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST), pre and post LSS training protocol. The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS (15.0) using an ANOVA test (α≤0.05). In comparison pre- and post-training, there was significant reduction in the TD of the CP in the sitting position with hands on knees (P<0.01) and crossed arms on chest (P<0.01). There was no change in skills (as measured by the WST) between pre- and post-training in any of the levels studied. The LSS training protocol proposed was effective for improving trunk control, but did not change the skills for wheelchair management in paraplegic individuals.

Efeitos da estabilização segmentar lombar no equilíbrio de tronco em paraplégicos / Effects of lumbar segmental stabilization in paraplegics' trunk balance

Objetivo: Analisar o efeito da técnica de estabilização segmentar no equilíbrio de tronco (ET) em paraplégicos. Material e Métodos: Participaram do estudo cinco sujeitos, do sexo masculino (31,2 ± 12,93 anos) com diagnóstico de lesão medular (T6 a L1) e submetidos à avaliação eletromiográfica dos músculos multífido lombar (ML) e transverso do abdômen (TrA) e do ET, em duas posições (mãos nos joelhos e braços cruzados), antes e após quatro semanas de treino de estabilização segmentar lombar (ESL). As comparações das médias da Root Mean Square (RMS) do sinal EMGs e do deslocamento do centro de pressão (CP), pré e pós-treino foram realizadas no Software SPSS (15.0), utilizando os testes t Student e Wilcoxon, com nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Houve diferença significativa na RMS do sinal EMGs (P=0,043) para os dois músculos analisados (ML e TrA) e também no deslocamento total do CP entre as avaliações pré e pós-treino, tanto na posição de mãos nos joelhos (P=0,014) quanto na posição de braços cruzados (P=0,022). Conclusão: Os resultados mostram que o protocolo de ESL empregado foi eficiente na melhora no equilíbrio do tronco e na ativação dos músculos ML e TrA.

Objective: To analyze the effect of segmental stabilization on paraplegics' trunk balance. Material and Methods: This study included five male subjects (31.2 ± 12.93 years) diagnosed with spinal cord injury (T6 to L1). They were submitted to electromyographic evaluation of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominus (TrA) muscles, in addition to TB assessment in two positions (hands on knees and crossed arms), before and after four weeks of lumbar segmental stabilization (LSS) training. The comparisons of the Root Mean Square (RMS) of the EMGs signal and of the displacement of the pressure center (PC) pre- and post-training were conducted on SPSS software (15.0). The Student and Wilcoxon tests were used, with significance level of 5%. Results: There was significant difference in the RMS of the EMGs signal (p=0.043) for the two muscles analyzed (LM and TrA) and in the total displacement of the PC between pre- and post-training, both in the hands on knees position (p=0.014) and in the crossed arms position (p=0.022). Conclusion: The findings showed that the LSS protocol was efficient in improving the balance of the trunk and the activation of the TrA and LM muscles.