This study evaluated, in vitro, the antimicrobial activity and the anti-adherent property of xylitol (0.5, 2.5 and 5.0%, w/v) on two Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (ATCC 9027 and clinical). The assay of antimicrobial activity was performed to determine a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the adhesion test was performed, by which the parameters regarding, growth in the culture medium, number of colony forming units (CFUs) released and slide evaluation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were analyzed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed for statistical analysis. Results showed that xylitol had no antimicrobial activity on these strains; however, the inhibition of bacterial adherence was observed in microphotographs obtained by SEM. These results indicated that xylitol could be a future alternative to combat bacterial colonization.

Disfunção cognitiva pós-operatória é situação freqüente em cirurgias cardíacas, o que pode levar a conseqüências imensuráveis para os indivíduos acometidos. Os processos fisiopatológicos envolvidos nessa condição ainda não se encontram totalmente elucidados, apresentando um caráter multifatorial. Além de fatores pré-operatórios, como idade e escolaridade, alguns fatores intra-operatórios também são de extrema importância. Entretanto, conforme ampla literatura sobre o tema, esses fatores não são capazes de esclarecer etiologicamente a totalidade dos casos, remetendo a uma base genética para essa seqüela neurológica. Nessa revisão, avaliamos fatores envolvidos na disfunção cognitiva e a terapia farmacoprotetora empregada em sua prevenção.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is frequent in cardiac surgeries leading to major consequences. The physiopathological processes involved in this condition are still not completely elucidated, despite the multifactor character. Besides pre-operative factors such as age and education, some intra-operative factors are also of extreme importance. However, according to a vast literature on the subject, these factors are not capable to clarify the totality of the cases, taking us to a genetic base for this neurological sequel. In this revision, we briefly assess the factors involved in this cognitive dysfunction as well as discuss the pharmacotherapy in the prevention of this event.