Sources and reservoirs of Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-A inside a NICU.

Background: The methicillin-resistant clone Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-A, involved in sepsis in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) worldwide, is able to persist and spread in NICUs, suggesting the presence of reservoirs inside each setting. The purpose of the present study was to identify these reservoirs and to investigate the cycle of transmission of NRCS-A in one NICU. Methods: In a single institution study, NRCS-A was sought in 106 consecutive vaginal samples of pregnant women to identify a potential source of NRCS-A importation into the NICU. Additionally NICU caregivers and environmental including incubators were tested to identify putative secondary reservoirs. Finally, the efficacy of disinfection procedure in the elimination of NRCS-A from incubators was evaluated. Results: No S. capitis was isolated from vaginal samples of pregnant women. Three of the 21 tested caregivers (14%) carried S. capitis on their hands, but none remain positive after a five-day wash-out period outside NICU. Moreover, the clone NRCS-A persisted during six consecutive weeks in the NICU environment, but none of the sampled sites was constantly contaminated. Finally in our before/after disinfection study, all of 16 incubators were colonized before disinfection and 10 (62%) incubators remained colonized with NRCS-A after the disinfection procedure. Conclusions: The partial ineffectiveness of incubators' disinfection procedures is responsible for persistence of NRCS-A inside a NICU, and the passive hand contamination of caregivers could be involved in the inter-patient transmission of S. capitis.

Chromogenic detection procedure for the multidrug-resistant, neonatal sepsis-associated clone Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-A.

The multiresistant Staphylococcus capitis clone NRCS-A is a major pathogen in neonates worldwide. We show that NRCS-A grows as mauve colonies with a cream-color halo after a 5-day incubation on MRSA Brilliance 2 agar (Oxoid®). This innovative protocol will ease the screening of clinical and environmental niches of this clone.

Necropsias de neonatos, fator da melhoria da qualidade nas UTIs neonatais / Neonatal necropsies as a factor in quality improvement of the neonatal ICUs

Neste estudo foram estudados 552 casos de necropsia de neomortos provenientes de unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais (UTINs). Desses, 265 apresentaram algum tipo de enfermidade ou lesão não esperada conseqüentes (direta ou indiretamente) a seu manuseio diagnóstico e/ou terapêutico. Os casos foram agrupados por tipo de enfermidade, em seus respectivos órgãos ou sistemas, que ressaltou a prevalência de lesões pulmonares, como membrana hialina, enfisema intersticial, displasia broncopulmonar e alterações graves em nível de sistema nervoso central (SNC), sinalizando o prognóstico quanto à qualidade de vida. Como parte das medidas terapêuticas, devem ser analisados os acessos arteriais e venosos dos vasos umbilicais, com suas complicações, e o acesso venoso profundo, propriamente dito, para nutrição parenteral total, com graves complicações fatais para o lado do coração, como endocardite fúngica e tamponamento cardíaco por "Intralipid". Foram discutidas as resultantes multissistêmicas dos quadros de hipotensão e choque: enterocolite necrotizante e necroses corticomedular, renal, hepática e miocárdica. Este trabalho ressalta o valor da necropsia na melhoria da qualidade das UTINs, bem como apresenta várias situações em que o diagnostico só foi conhecido devido à necropsia ou, então, o resultado modificou, de certa forma, a abordagem terapêutica futura. A consulta e a análise da literatura demonstram a virtual inexistência de metodologia adequada para desenvolver e estabelecer um comportamento que propicie o exercício sistemático de aferição do desempenho organizacional, e que reduza sensivelmente as possibilidades de efeitos indesejáveis relacionados com rotinas e procedimentos operacionais nesse campo da prática assistencial. As principais causas de insucesso parecem ser creditadas à tecnologia de máquinas e substâncias, cuja adequação à biologia dos organismos em desenvolvimento não é plenamente conhecida no que se refere à influência...

The present study emphasizes the necropsy value in the development of the neonatal ICU. We present many situations where the diagnostic was possible solely because of the necropsy, as well, many diagnosis were changed based on the necropsies results. The literature compilation shows no evidence of a systematic procedure concerning the mitigation of the problems related to the avaliable routines in this matter. The lack of a more scientific investigation related to the neonatal deaths is a enormous barrier to the improvement of those organizations (ITU's). Apparently, these failure is connected to machines and products thecnology not well know in terms of their suitability concerning under biological development organisms. Also, the necropsies appears to be a useful tool when the death results, directly or indirectly, from therapeutical process. The conception of a quality development process strategy represents a major issue, even more when you face new political decisions in health field, including cost reduction and higher complexity. Also, we need to pay special attention to science and research ethical principles.