Introduction Febrile neutropenia is one of the most serious treatment-related complications in cancer patients. Susceptible to rapidly progressing infections, which result in prolonged hospitalization and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, neutropenic patients are subject to colonization by multiresistant agents, which enhances the risk of infections.Methods In this study we included samples collected with nasal, oropharyngeal and anal swabs from hospitalized children with febrile neutropenia following chemotherapy, between March 2014 and 2015, aiming to elucidate colonization by S. aureus and Enterococcus spp., as well as their resistance profile.Results S. aureus was found in 22% of the patients and 14% of the events. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonized 13.6% of patients. Including anal swabs in the screening increased the identification of colonized patients by 20%. Enterococcus spp. was found in 27% of patients and 17% of episodes.Enterococcal isolates resistant to vancomycin, accounting for 25% of the total, were not isolated in anal swabs at any time, with the oropharyngeal site being much more important. The rate of infection by Enterococcus spp. was 4.5% of all patients and 16% among the colonized patients. ConclusionEspecially in this population, colonization studies including more sites can yield a higher chance of positive results. Establishing the colonization profile in febrile neutropenic children following chemotherapy may help to institute an empirical antibiotic treatment aimed at antibiotic adequacy and lower induction of resistance, thereby decreasing the risk of an unfavorable clinical outcome.
BACKGROUND: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Brazil and the main cause of disability. Inability to identify alarm signals causes delays in seeking emergency services, thereby leading to a worse prognosis. OBJECTIVES: To assess the population's knowledge of how to recognize and prevent stroke. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cross-sectional study on data derived from a questionnaire that was administered during the 2016 World Stroke Campaign, launched in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Data on 806 interviewees were evaluated using descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Among all the interviewees, 52.1% knew how to conceptualize stroke; 70.07% knew someone who had suffered a stroke; and 29.03% listed three or more risk factors. Only 27.5% mentioned controlling high blood pressure as a preventive measure. In the event of witnessing a stroke, 57.8% would call the emergency service and 2.9% would check the timing. Less educated individuals were 5.6 times more likely (95% confidence interval, CI 3.45-9.02) to have poor knowledge of stroke, compared with the more educated group. Knowing someone who had had a stroke reduced the chances of not knowing the terms relating to the disease (odds ratio, OR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.4-0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the severity and prevalence of stroke, the population still has little information on this disease. In this context, the importance of mounting campaigns to improve prevention and treatment and to contribute to healthcare policies becomes evident.
Context: Trigeminal neuralgia is typically associated with structural lesions that affect the brainstem, pre-ganglionic roots, gasserian ganglion and the trigeminal nerve. The association of trigeminal neuralgia with infarction of the dorsolateral medulla is rare, being more associated with pontine lesions, in the context of brainstem infarction. Methods: Report the case of a 55-year-old male patient, who presented with a left dorsolateral bulbar infarction, and developed a ipsilateral trigeminal neuralgia afterwards. Case report: A 55-year-old man attended to the emergency room referring sudden incoordination of the left limbs, associated with numbness of the contralateral limbs. The neurological examination showed nystagmus, numbness of the left face, ataxia of the left limbs and numbness of the right limbs. The Magnetic Resonance of the Brain revealed an area of recent infarction in the left posterolateral aspect of the medulla. He underwent thrombolysis, evolving with complete resolution of symptoms. In the week after the initial event, he returned to the outpatient clinic, reporting paroxysms of excruciating pain in the upper lip, nose and left zygomatic region, being diagnosed with neuralgia of the maxillary segment of the trigeminal nerve, improving with introduction of Gabapentin. Conclusion: Although most cases of trigeminal neuralgia are determined by vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve root entry zone, other causes must be considered. The association of this condition with dorsolateral medulla infarction is rare, with only 4 cases reported in the last 10 years.
Context: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease is an inflammatory disorder, which presents with intraocular, auditory and central nervous system involvement. It has two distinct courses: acute onset and chronic recurrence, whose differential diagnoses are, respectively, diseases of the optic neuromyelitis spectrum, and chronic meningitis. The diagnostic criteria developed by the international disease committee in 2001 classify patients into: probable disease (ocular findings only), incomplete (ocular plus cutaneous system or neurological manifestations) and complete (when the three forms occur together). Methods: Report the case of a patient seen at the emergency room of Santa Casa de São Paulo, diagnosed with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease. Case report: 43-year-old woman, reporting occipital headache, with irradiation to the retro-orbital region, progressed to sudden bilateral amaurosis, in addition to conjunctival hyperemia. Neurological physical examination presented bilateral visual acuity (Snellen)> 20/200, poorly delimited optical discs. Uveitis and scleritis were also found. Brain and orbit MRI showed: bilateral retinal detachment, with small subretinal collections; regular thickening and impregnation of the choroid; tenuous episcleral impregnation; alteration of the sign of the inner ears, more evident in the cochleae; tenuous linear leptomeningeal impregnation at the level of the cerebellobulbar cistern. Liquor: 21 cells (99% lymphocytes), 31 proteins and 47 glucose, negative culture for bacteria. We proceeded to infusion 1000mg of methylprednisolone for 3 days, with daily use, subsequently, of prednisone 60mg, with significant improvement of the condition. Conclusions: It is a rare disease, but it must be recognized by every neurologist, since it is treatable and can leave serious visual sequelae.
Background: The Three Territory Sign (TTS) is a radiologic marker of ischemic stroke associated with malignant neoplastic diseases (Trousseau Syndrome) and corresponds to a rare stroke etiology. Case Report: Female, 62-year-old patient, with comorbidities of smoking, hypertension and diabetes, presented with a sudden faciobrachial-predominant left hemiparesis settled in the day before the admission. Diagnosed with a metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma seven months before, she underwent a rectosigmoidectomy three months ago and developed deep vein thrombosis, starting anticoagulant therapy with rivaroxaban 20mg daily. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed several lesions with restricted diffusion in multiple vascular territories, bilaterally, corresponding to ischemic stroke. Etiologic investigation did not detect signs of cardioembolism, nor significant vessel stenosis or unstable atherosclerotic plaques. In admission, she had a D-dimer level of 11,43μg (0- 0,5μg/mL). Conclusion: The evidence of TTS is about six times more frequent in stroke related to malignancies compared to cardioembolic etiology. The D-dimer is a marker of malignancies in cryptogenic stroke, elevated in 75% of cases. The most common associated neoplasms are pulmonary (40%) and gastrointestinal (33,3%). In the MRI, the lesions can be isolated or gathered, generally small and peripheral. There is no evidence regarding the ideal preventive therapy. It is necessary to reinforce the importance of investigating malignancies in patients presenting with cryptogenic stroke and TTS, a syndrome that is still poorly recognized.
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