Este foi um estudo prospectivo que visou identificar a microbiologia do meato médio em pacientes com rinossinusite crônica (RSC) e compará-la com a de indivíduos sadios. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 134 pacientes RSC e 50 voluntários sadios, que constituíram o grupo controle. As amostras foram coletadas endoscopicamente e submetidas a exames pelo método de Gram com contagem leucocitária e culturas para aeróbios, anaeróbios e fungos. RESULTADOS: Nos pacientes com RSC foram cultivados 220 microorganismos, dentre os quais os mais freqüentes foram o Staphylococcus aureus, presente em 31% das amostras, e o Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo (SCN) em 23%. Gram-negativos ou facultativos foram isolados em 37% das amostras, anaeróbios em 12%, e fungos em 14%. Ao exame bacterioscópico evidenciou-se alguns ou numerosos leucócitos em 74% das amostras com culturas positivas. Nos indivíduos sadios o SCN foi isolado em 40% das amostras e o Staphylococcus aureus em 18%. Em 12% dos indivíduos a cultura para fungos foi positiva, e o exame direto negativo. Todas as culturas anaeróbias foram estéreis. Quanto à contagem leucocitária todos apresentaram nenhum ou raros leucócitos. CONCLUSÃO: Os grupos apresentaram resultados semelhantes quanto à microbiologia, entretanto, diferiram em relação à contagem leucocitária, o que auxilia na diferenciação um microorganismo infectante de um colonizante.

This was a prospective study which assessed endoscopically collected middle meatus secretions in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and compared those findings with microbiological data of healthy individuals. METHODS: Middle meatus samples were collected from 134 CRS patients. In the laboratory, samples were Gram stained for microscopic examination with white blood cels (WBCs) count and also send for aerobic, anaerobic and fungal cultures. Fifty volunteers served as control. RESULTS: In CRS patients a total of 220 microorganisms were isolated. The most frequent microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (31%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) (23%). Gram-negative or facultative microorganisms were isolated in 37% of the samples, anaerobes in 12% and fungi in 14%. Seventy four percent of the samples with positive cultures presented many or few WBC. In the control group, 76% of cultures were positive for aerobes and 12% for fungi. No anaerobes were isolated. There were rare or no WBC in the fifty samples. The most frequent microorganisms were CNS (40%), Staphylococcus aureus (18%). CONCLUSION: The microbiology of the middle meatus is similar in CRS patients and healthy individuals. Despite this, there was an important difference between the WBC count in these two groups, which helps to distinguish an infective from a saprophitic microorganism.

OBJECTIVE: To assess survival of patients undergoing cerebral cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers and to identify prognostic factors for short-term survival. METHODS: Prospective study with patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers. RESULTS: The study included 150 patients. Spontaneous circulation was re-established in 88 (58%) patients, and 42 (28%) were discharged from the hospital. The necessary number of patients treated to save 1 life in 12 months was 3.4. The presence of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia (VF/VT) as the initial rhythm, shorter times of cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers and cardiopulmonary arrest, and greater values of mean blood pressure (BP) prior to cardiopulmonary arrest were independent variables for re-establishment of spontaneous circulation and hospital discharge. The odds ratios for hospital discharge were as follows: 6.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.7-13.6), when the initial rhythm was VF/VT; 9.4 (95% CI = 4.1-21.3), when the time of cerebral cardiopulmonary resuscitation was < 15 min; 9.2 (95% CI = 3.9-21.3), when the time of cardiopulmonary arrest was < 20 min; and 5.7 (95% CI = 2.4-13.7), when BP was > 70 mmHg. CONCLUSION: The presence of VF/VT as the initial rhythm, shorter times of cerebral cardiopulmonary resuscitation and of cardiopulmonary arrest, and a greater value of BP prior to cardiopulmonary arrest were independent variables of better prognosis.