Usefulness of minimally invasive autopsy in the diagnosis of arboviruses to increase the sensitivity of the Epidemiological Surveillance System in Ceará, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To create a protocol for performing minimally invasive autopsies (MIA) in detecting deaths from arboviruses and report preliminary data from its application in Ceará state, Brazil. METHODS: Training was provided to medical pathologists on MIA. RESULTS: A protocol was established for performing MIA, defining criteria for sample collection, storage methods, and diagnoses to be carried out according to the type of biological sample; 43 MIAs were performed in three months. Of these, 21 (48.8%) arrived at the Death Verification Service (SVO) with arboviruses as a diagnostic hypothesis, and seven (16.3%) were confirmed (six chikungunya cases and one dengue case); cases of COVID-19 (n = 9), tuberculosis (n = 5), meningitis (n = 4), cryptococcosis (n = 1), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (n = 1), breast cancer (n = 1), and human rabies (n = 1) were also confirmed. CONCLUSION: The protocol implemented enabled identification of a larger number of suspected arbovirus-related deaths, as well as confirmation of other diseases of interest for surveillance. MAIN RESULTS: A protocol was developed to perform minimally invasive autopsies (MIAs) in Death Verification Services (SVO), capable of expanding the system's capacity to identify a greater number of deaths suspected to be due to arboviruses. IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES: The experience suggests that in-service trained health professionals are able to perform MIA, and that use of this technique in SVOs has been shown to be capable of increasing the system's sensitivity in detecting deaths of interest to public health. PERSPECTIVES: Trained professionals will be able to collect biological material in hospitals, through MIA, in cases of interest for health surveillance and when family members do not allow a complete conventional autopsy to be performed.

A importância da sedimentoscopia em amostras de urina com exame físico-químico negativo

Objetivo: Identificar a existência de elementos clinicamente importantes no sedimento urinário de amostras de urinas com exame físico-químico negativo como os cristais, leveduras e bactérias. Métodos: O presente estudo concebeu uma análise descritiva quali-quantitativa de dados clínicos contidos no sistema do laboratório. Foram analisados dados do período de julho a dezembro de 2019. Resultados: Foram extraídos dados referentes a 48.755 sumários de urina, e foi constatado que 9.160 exames (18,79%) não apresentaram alterações na sedimentoscopia. Conclusão: A técnica é necessária para triar possíveis doenças e por isso é indispensável, pois pode mostrar ao clínico que existem elementos anormais, mesmo em urinas com o exame físico-químico negativo.

Objective: To identify the existence of clinically important elements in the urine sediment of urine samples with negative physical-chemical examination such as crystals, yeasts and bacteria. Methods: The present study designed a qualitative and quantitative descriptive analysis of clinical data contained in the laboratory system. Data from July to December 2019 were analyzed. Results: Data referring to 48,755 urine summaries were extracted, and it was found that 9,160 tests (18.79%) did not show changes in sedimentcopy. Conclusion: However, such a technique is necessary to screen for possible diseases and is therefore essential, as it can show the clinician that there are abnormal elements, even in urines with negative physical-chemical examination.