Detection of Staphylococcus aureus with an intermediate profile to vancomycin (VISA) isolate from Santa Maria, RS.

Twenty-three isolates of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin have been analyzed, being found a clinical isolate of VISA through microdilution technique. The others techniques were unable to detect such isolates. This is the first study that shows the presence of VISA in clinical isolates in the city of Santa Maria-RS.

Chlorhexidine activity against bacterial biofilms.

BACKGROUND: A biofilm is a complex microbiological ecosystem deposited on surfaces. Microorganisms in form of biofilms are of particular clinical concern because of the poor response to antimicrobial treatments. This study aimed to determine whether bacterial and fungal biofilms are able to resist the antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine, a powerful antiseptic widely used in the hospital environment. METHODS: Disk diffusion and susceptibility tests were conducted in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards for the determination of biofilm inhibitory concentration. Chlorhexidine was tested first at a minimum inhibitory concentration and then at higher concentrations when it was not able to destroy the biofilm. The plates were developed with a solution of 0.1% crystal violet, and readings were made at an optical density of 570 nm. RESULTS: Chlorhexidine demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activity for most microorganisms tested in their free form, but was less effective against biofilms of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that microorganisms in biofilms have greater resistance to chlorhexidine, likely owing to the mechanisms of resistance conferred to the structure of biofilms.

Identification of mycobacteria isolated at University Hospital of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Identificação de micobactérias isoladas no Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

This study evaluated the prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) in relation to the total number of cases of mycobacterial infections detected in patients admitted at the University Hospital of Santa Maria from 2008 to 2010. From the positive samples for the genus Mycobacterium, 67% belonged to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and 33% of them were classified as NTM. This investigation aims to contribute to the epidemiology of mycobacterioses, inasmuch as patients infected by NTM require distinctive treatment and monitoring in comparison with those infected by MTBC.

Foi avaliada a prevalência de micobactérias não tuberculosas (MNT) em relação ao total de casos de micobacterioses identificadas em pacientes do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria, entre os anos de 2008 e 2010. Entre as amostras positivas para o gênero Mycobacterium, 67% eram do complexo Mycobacterium tuberculosis (CMTB) e 33% foram classificadas como MNT. Este estudo procura contribuir com a epidemiologia das micobacterioses, uma vez que os pacientes infectados por MNT necessitam de tratamento e acompanhamento diferenciado dos infectados pelo CMTB.