Abstract Introduction Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious complication of cancer chemotherapy. The present study aimed to identify risk factors for documented infection in pediatric patients with FN and cancer. Methods This prospective cohort study included patients under 18 years from 2016 to 2018. Infection was defined according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Results A total of 172 febrile neutropenic episodes were evaluated. From univariate analysis, the risk factors were: female gender; monocyte count < 100 cell/mm³, platelets < 50,000, C-reactive protein (CRP) > 90 mg/dl and hemoglobin < 7mg/dl at the onset of an episode; two or more episodes of FN, and; fever onset; positive blood culture at the fever onset. Independent risk factors according to the multivariate analysis were: CRP at the onset of a febrile episode > 90mg/dl, fever onset and first blood culture with a positive result. The lowest probability of infection was related to first episode and to platelets > 50,000 at the onset of fever. Conclusion A CRP > 90 at the onset of a febrile episode, platelets < 50,000, second episode or more, first fever episode during hospitalization and positive first blood culture were found to be associated with a higher risk of infection and they could be useful for the establishment of risk scores for infection in neutropenic children.

RESUMO Objetivo: A alta prevalência e gravidade da toxoplasmose congênita no Brasil, com muitos indivíduos afetados desenvolvendo baixa visão, reforça a importância da avaliação da sua qualidade de vida. Este estudo tem como objetivo adaptar o Children's Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ) para a realidade sociocultural de crianças brasileiras e investigar suas propriedades psicométricas para avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada à visão nesses indivíduos. Métodos: Estudo epidemiológico transversal aninhado de coorte de 142 crianças pré-escolares acompanhadas prospectivamente em hospital universitário de referência em Belo Horizonte, Brasil. Todas foram submetidos a exame oftalmológico completo, incluindo medida da acuidade visual e oftalmoscopia binocular indireta. Questionários foram aplicados aos pais e cuidadores, para avaliar a percepção da qualidade de vida, bem como o nível sócio-econômico das famílias. Análise estatística multivariada foi realizada para avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da escala de qualidade de vida. Resultados: Adaptações na versão brasileira do Children's Visual Function Questionnaire-7 originaram o Children's Visual Function Questionnaire-7-BR-toxo, um questionário para avaliar a percepção de pais/cuidadores sobre a qualidade de vida relacionada à visão de crianças pré-escolares com toxoplasmose congênita. Pela descrição, estrutura de variabilidade, e interpretação do agrupamento dos itens do questionário adaptado, identificaram-se seis subescalas: saúde geral, capacidade visual, desempenho visual/visão funcional, comportamento social e pessoal, impacto na família e tratamento. Crianças com baixa visão associada a toxoplasmose congênita tiveram escores mais baixos nas seguintes subescalas: acuidade visual (p=0,004), desempenho visual/visão funcional (p=0,008), impacto na família (p=0,001) e saúde geral (p=0,001). Conclusão: As propriedades psicométricas foram adequadas no tocante à validade do construto. O Children's Visual Function Questionnaire-7-BR-toxo foi capaz de registrar o impacto da deficiência visual nas famílias de crianças com toxoplasmose congênita.

ABSTRACT Purpose: The high prevalence and severity of congenital toxoplasmosis in Brazil, with several affected individuals progressing to low vision, emphasize the importance of evaluating their quality of life. In this study, the Children's Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ) was adapted to the sociocultural context of Brazilian children, and its psychometric properties were investigated for evaluating the vision-related quality of life of these individuals. Methods: This was a nested cross-sectional epidemiological study that prospectively monitored a cohort of 142 preschool children at a single referral university hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. All children underwent complete ophthalmological examination, including visual acuity testing and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Questionnaires were applied to their parents and caregivers to evaluate quality of life perception, as well as socioeconomic status of their families. Psychometric properties of the quality of life scale were evaluated by multivariate statistical analyses. Results: Adaptation to the Brazilian version of CVFQ-7 resulted in CVFQ-BR-toxo, a questionnaire for evaluating the perception of parents/caregivers about the vision-related quality of life of preschool children with congenital toxoplasmosis. The following six subscales were identified based on description, variability structure, and interpretation/grouping of items: general health, visual acuity, visual performance/functional vision, personal and social behavior, impact on family, and treatment. Children with low vision related to congenital toxoplasmosis had significantly lower scores for the following subscales: visual acuity (p=0.004), visual performance/functional vision (p=0.008), impact on family (p=0.001), and overall health (p=0.001). Conclusion: Psychometric properties were appropriate concerning the validity of the quality of life construct. CVFQ-BR-toxo could demonstrate the impact of vision impairment on families of children with congenital toxoplasmosis.

Abstract Introduction Invasive fungal diseases represent important causes of morbidity and mortality among pediatric oncohematological patients. Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is a rare and aggressive disease that occurs mainly in immunocompromised patients. The mortality rate is high and therefore, accurate and early diagnosis is essential. Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis among pediatric oncohematological patients and characterize them with confirmed diagnoses. Methods This was a retrospective study that analyzed the medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with oncohematological diseases and suspected fungal infections, who were included after obtaining informed consent, from January to December 2017, in the pediatric unit of a tertiary university hospital. Data collected from medical record analysis included the following: underlying diagnosis, absolute neutrophil count, clinical presentation, culture and biopsy results, surgical procedures performed, survival and mortality. Results A total of 27 patients were evaluated, with three suspected cases of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. Histopathological and microbiological analyses confirmed two cases. In both cases, the pathogen isolated in the culture was Fusarium sp. The two confirmed cases were female, aged 12 and 14 years, both with an absolute neutrophil count of 10 cells/μL. The underlying disease of the first patient was acute myeloid leukemia (subtype M5), whereas the second patient presented idiopathic bone marrow aplasia. Conclusion Both confirmed cases of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis presented with constitutional symptoms and signs of nasal and sinusital inflammation. This demonstrates the importance of fever as a symptom in immunocompromised patients and it should prompt otorhinolaryngological investigation.

RESUMO Objetivo: Linfo-histiocitose hemofagocítica (LHH) é uma síndrome caracterizada pela hiperativação de linfócitos T citotóxicos, células natural killer e macrófagos, levando à secreção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias. Linfo-histiocitose hemofagocítica associada a Leishmaniose Visceral é um quadro de grande desafio para o diagnóstico, considerando que os sintomas são semelhantes, podendo levar ao óbito pacientes não tratados. Nosso objetivo é descrever uma série de casos de Leishmaniose Visceral com LHH admitidos em um hospital de referência para doenças infecciosas. Descrição do caso: Todos os 115 casos de Leishmaniose Visceral encaminhados ao centro de referência em doenças infecciosas pediátricas foram revistos para identificar os casos de LHH. Cinco casos (4,5%) foram confirmados com LHH e apresentaram febre, esplenomegalia, citopenia, hipertrigliceridemia ou hipofibrinogenemia, aumento de ferritina e hemafagocitose em medula óssea. Comentários: Deve-se suspeitar de LHH em crianças com doenças infecciosas que não respondem adequadamente ao tratamento ou em pacientes com sintomas graves, principalmente em áreas endêmicas da leishmaniose.%

ABSTRACT Objective: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis syndrome (HLHS) is characterized by an immunological hyperactivation of cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages, leading to the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. HLHS associated with Visceral Leishmaniasis might be difficult to diagnose once symptoms are similar, resulting in the death of untreated patients. Our aim is to describe a series of cases of Visceral Leishmaniasis with HLHS admitted to a referral hospital for infectious diseases. Case description: All 115 cases of Visceral Leishmaniasis referred to a referral center for pediatric infectious diseases were reviewed to identify the cases of HLHS. Five cases (4.5%) were confirmed with HLHS and they presented fever, splenomegaly, cytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia or hypofibrinogenemia, increased ferritin and hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow. Comments: It important to rule out HLHS in children with infectious diseases that do not respond adequately to treatment or in patients with severe symptoms, especially in leishmaniasis endemic areas.%

Abstract Objective The use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, such as third and fourth-generation, are responsible for emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms in neonatal units. Furthermore, antimicrobial daily doses are not standardized in neonatology. This study aimed to investigate the association between the use of antimicrobial broad spectrum to bacterial sensitivity profile in a referral unit of neonatal progressive care. Methods This is a cohort study conducted in a referral neonatal progressive care unit from January 2008 to December 2016. The data of all hospitalized neonates was collected daily. The infection criteria used were the standardized national criteria, based on definitions of Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. In this study, the use of antimicrobials was evaluated as antimicrobial-day (ATM-day) and the ratio of multidrug-resistant microorganisms per 1000 ATM-day of broad spectrum was also calculated. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ETIC 312/08 e CAAE 58973616.2.0000.5149). Results From 2008 to 2016, 2751 neonates were hospitalized, corresponding to 60,656 patient-days. The ratio of multidrug-resistant microorganisms per 1000 ATM-day of broad spectrum was 1,3 in the first period and 4,3 in the second period (p = 0,005). Conclusion It was observed that use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, especially those with coverage for Gram-negative bacteria, was associated with an increase of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Resumo Objetivos: investigar as informações recebidas pela gestante considerando fatores assis-tenciais e educacionais sobre sífilis e a suas associações com o diagnóstico de sífilis congênita em uma maternidade de referência. Métodos: estudo caso-controle realizado em maternidade de referência em Minas Gerais, Brasil, de 2017 a 2018. Grupo caso incluiu mães de recém-nascidos com sífilis congênita presuntiva e o grupo Controle foi considerado mães de recém-nascidos saudáveis. Variáveis clínicas, obstétricas e informações sobre a abordagem educacional materna sobre a sífilis durante a assistência no pré-natal foram obtidas por meio de entrevista e prontuário. Análises descritivas e comparativas foram realizadas. Calculou-se o teste do qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher e a razão de chances, seguido de regressão logística multivariada. Resultados: sessenta mães foram incluídas no grupo caso e 120 mães foram incluídas no grupo controle. As mães do grupo caso apresentavam menor escolaridade e tiveram 24 vezes mais chances de ter informações sobre os riscos da sífilis congênita e cinco vezes mais chances de ter recebido tratamento anterior para sífilis e as mães do grupo controle tiveram 10 vezes mais chances de receber informações sobre as Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis durante a assistência no pré-natal. Conclusão: a assistência a saúde adequada identificando história previa de sífilis da gestante e educação em saúde com melhores informações sobre Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis podem ajudar na prevenção de sífilis congênita, o que indica necessidade de melhor abordagem pelos profissionais durante a assistência pré-natal.

Abstract Objectives: to investigate the information received by pregnant women considering assistance care and educational factors on syphilis and its association with the diagnostic of congenital syphilis in a referral maternity. Methods: a case-control study conducted in a referral maternity in Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2017 to 2018. A case group included newborns’ mothers with presumptive congenital syphilis and A control group was considered healthy newborns ’ mothers. Clinical, obstetrics variables and information about maternal educational approach on syphilis during prenatal care were obtained through interviews and medical records. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were calculated followed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: sixty mothers were included in the case group and 120 mothers in the control group. Mothers in the case group presented lower schooling level and they were 24 times more likely to have information about the risks of congenital syphilis and five times more likely to had received previous treatment for syphilis and mothers in the control group were 10 times more likely to receive information about Sexually Transmitted Infections during prenatal care. Conclusion: adequate health assistance identifying previous history of syphilis and health education improving its information about Sexually Transmitted Infections can help prevent congenital syphilis, which indicates the necessity of a better approach by the professionals during prenatal care.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever o caso de um lactente - com diagnóstico de Doença de Kawasaki incompleta - que desenvolveu reativação da cicatriz da vacina BCG. Descrição do caso: Um paciente de 6 meses de idade foi admitido no hospital com febre, associada à hiperemia ocular, linfadenomegalia cervical e fissuras labiais, permanecendo hospitalizado por 12 dias. Apresentava, no exame físico, reação inflamatória no local da cicatriz da vacina BCG, tendo sido feito o diagnóstico de Kawasaki incompleto. O paciente foi tratado com imunoglobulina venosa, mas apresentou recorrência da doença, com posterior surgimento de coronariopatia. Comentários: A reativação da BCG é um achado importante na doença de Kawasaki em países onde a vacina é aplicada de forma rotineira e pode ser um marcador útil para o diagnóstico precoce da doença de Kawasaki, principalmente em sua forma incompleta.

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the case of an infant - diagnosed with incomplete Kawasaki disease - who developed BCG scar reactivation. Case description: A 6-month-old patient was admitted to hospital with fever associated with ocular hyperemia, cervical lymphadenopathy, and hyperemic lips, and remained hospitalized for 12 days. The physical examination revealed an inflammatory reaction at the site of the BCG scar, leading to the diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki disease. The patient was treated with venous immunoglobulin, but presented recurrence of Kawasaki disease, with subsequent onset of coronary artery disease. Comments: BCG scar reactivation is an important finding in countries where the vaccine is routinely given and may be a useful marker for early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease, especially in its incomplete form.

Resumo Objetivo O objetivo deste estudo é revisar sistematicamente a literatura e responder à seguinte questão central: "Quais são os fatores de risco associados a piores desfechos clínicos de pacientes pediátricos com meningite bacteriana?". Métodos Os artigos foram obtidos através de pesquisa bibliográfica, nas bases de dados eletrônicas Web of Science, Scopus, Medline e Lilacs, e selecionados com diretriz internacional delineada pela abordagem Prisma (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis). Resultados A pesquisa bibliográfica identificou 1.244 artigos. Após a triagem metodológica, 17 estudos foram considerados elegíveis para esta revisão sistemática. Foram avaliados 9.581 pacientes até 18 anos nos estudos incluídos e vários fatores prognósticos plausíveis e importantes são propostos para a previsão de desfechos piores após meningite bacteriana na infância. O diagnóstico tardio reduz as chances de uma melhor evolução e reforça a importância de uma alta suspeita diagnóstica de meningite, especialmente em quadros febris com sintomatologia inespecífica. S. pneumoniae como patógeno causador demonstrou estar relacionado à gravidade clínica. Conclusões A previsão precoce de um desfecho clínico desfavorável pode ajudar a determinar quais crianças necessitam de uma abordagem mais invasiva ou seguimento mais prolongado e pode fornecer ao médico a justificativa para o aconselhamento dos pais sobre o prognóstico de seu filho em uma fase inicial da doença.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature and answer the following central question: "What are the risk factors associated with worse clinical outcomes of pediatric bacterial meningitis patients?" Methods: The articles were obtained through literary search using electronic bibliographic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE, and LILACS; they were selected using the international guideline outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols. Results: The literature search identified 1,244 articles. After methodological screening, 17 studies were eligible for this systematic review. A total of 9,581 patients aged between 0 days and 18 years were evaluated in the included studies, and several plausible and important prognostic factors are proposed for prediction of poor outcomes after bacterial meningitis in childhood. Late diagnosis reduces the chances for a better evolution and reinforces the importance of a high diagnostic suspicion of meningitis, especially in febrile pictures with nonspecific symptomatology. S. pneumoniae as a causative pathogen was demonstrated to be related to clinical severity. Conclusions: Early prediction of an adverse outcome may help determine which children require more intensive or longer follow-up and may provide the physician with rationale for parental counseling about their child's prognosis in an early phase of the disease.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between two versions of the scoring system (2011 and 2019), recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in children and adolescents. A retrospective descriptive study was performed to assess the medical records of children and adolescents with PTB, in TB units from Brazilian cities located in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Parana States, from January 1 st , 2004, to December 1 st , 2018. Patients aged 0 to 18 years old with a diagnosis of PTB were included. The comparison between the two scoring systems showed a moderate concordance according to the κ coefficient value = 0.625. Fourteen patients showed a reduction in the TB score, going from 30 points in the 2011, to 25 points or less in the 2019 one. Seventy one percent of these 14 patients had radiological changes suggestive of PTB and 86% had tuberculin skin tests greater than 10 mm. The study concluded that a moderate agreement was observed between the 2011 and 2019 scoring systems, with an increase in the number of patients scoring 25 points or less in 2019, which can eventually hinder the diagnosis of PTB.

ABSTRACT Background Technologies and life support management have enhanced the survival of preterm infants. The immune system of newborns is immature, which contributes to the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections. The overlap of several conditions with neonatal sepsis and the difficulty of diagnosis and laboratory confirmation during this period result in a tendency to over-treat neonatal sepsis. The use of antimicrobial agents is a risk factor for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. This work aimed to perform a systematic review of the relationship between inadequate use of antimicrobial agents and increase in neonatal sepsis related to healthcare assistance, due to bacterial resistance. Methods Our population, exposition, comparison, outcome and study type was as follows: P: hospitalized neonates with sepsis diagnosis, E: inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents, C: adequate use of antimicrobial agents or no indication of infection, O: resistant bacterial infection, and S: original studies. We performed searches in the PubMed, Scopus, Virtual Health Library (Scielo, LILACS, and MEDLINE), and Embase without limits on time, language, and the references of the articles found. Fourteen studies were included and assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation, Newcastle, and the Strengthening the Reporting of Observacional Studies in Epidemiology methodologies. Results All studies found were observational and started with a low-quality evidence level in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. Conclusions Despite their low-quality evidence, the studies demonstrated the association between inadequate use of antimicrobial agents and increase of neonatal resistant bacterial healthcare-associated infections in neonatal units. However, there is significant difficulty in conducting high-quality studies in this population due to ethical issues tied to randomized trials. Therefore, new studies should be encouraged to recommend adequate treatment of newborns without increasing the risk of healthcare-associated infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

ABSTRACT Objective: This article aims to review the use of antifungal prophylaxis with intravenous fluconazole in premature newborns and the occurrence of Invasive Candidiasis. Methods: This is a systematic review with search at databases: PubMed, Capes Portal, Virtual Health Library (BVS - Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde)/Lilacs, Scopus and Cochrane. The keywords used were: "Antifungal", "Candida" "Fluconazole prophylaxis" and "Preterm infants". Results: Invasive Candidiasis was evaluated in all the twelve items. In eleven of them, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups receiving prophylactic fluconazole, with lower frequency of Invasive Candidiasis, compared to placebo or no prophylaxis group. Colonization by Candida species was also evaluated in five studies; four of them presented statistically lower proportion of colonization in patients with Fluconazole prophylaxis, compared to placebo or no drugs. In one study, there was a significant difference, favoring the use of fluconazole, and reduction of death. Conclusion: Studies indicate the effectiveness of prophylaxis with fluconazole, with reduction in the incidence of colonization and invasive fungal disease. The benefits of prophylaxis should be evaluated considering the incidence of candidiasis in the unit, the mortality associated with candidiasis, the safety and toxicity of short and long-term medication, and the potential for development of resistant pathogens.

Resumo Objetivo Comparar dois períodos com diferentes esquemas empíricos para tratamento de sepse neonatal tardia, incluindo vancomicina ou oxacilina respectivamente, em unidade neonatal de referência com alta prevalência de Staphylococcus coagulase negativo. Métodos Estudo transversal, feito em unidade neonatal de referência, de 2011 a 2014. Os dados foram coletados diariamente por vigilância ativa em prontuário de recém-nascidos de risco. As infecções foram notificadas conforme critérios definidos pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. O banco de dados e a análise foram feitos em programa interno. Resultados Ocorreu redução significativa da notificação de infecções por Staphylococcus aureus (p = 0,008), sem notificações de endocardite, meningite e infecções de vias aéreas inferiores, além de redução na frequência de óbitos pelo microrganismo e sem alteração significativa nas incidências de infecções por bactérias Gram negativas e fungos. Houve aumento de infecções S. aureus coagulase negativo (p = 0,022), mas sem aumento de morbidade e mortalidade. Ocorreu redução na mediana do tempo de uso de oxacilina, de 11,5 para 6 dias (p < 0,001), com aumento de mediana de um dia de uso de vancomicina (p = 0,046). Conclusões A modificação do esquema empírico com uso de oxacilina revelou redução significativa das infecções por S. aureus, além da redução na frequência de infecção de foco profundo e mortalidade pelo microrganismo. Considera-se que oxacilina pode ser usada como esquema de tratamento de sepse neonatal tardia para se evitar o uso de antibióticos de largo espectro.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to compare two different empiric treatments for late-onset neonatal sepsis, vancomycin and oxacillin, in a neonatal intensive care unit with a high prevalence of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in an neonatal intensive care unit from 2011 to 2014. Data from the medical records of at-risk newborns were collected daily. Infections were defined according to the National Health Surveillance Agency criteria. Data analysis was performed using an internal program. Results: There was a significant reduction in the number of Staphylococcus aureus infections (p = 0.008), without endocarditis, meningitis, or lower respiratory tract infection, as well as a reduction in the frequency of deaths related to S. aureus infection. There were no significant changes in the incidence of Gram-negative bacterial or fungal infections. An increase in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus infections was observed (p = 0.022). However, there was no measured increase in related morbidity and mortality. There was a reduction in the median number of days of treatment with oxacillin from 11.5 to 6 days (p < 0.001) and an increase of one day in the median number of days of treatment with vancomycin (p = 0.046). Conclusions: Modification of the empiric treatment regimen for neonatal late-onset sepsis with use of oxacillin showed a significant reduction in S. aureus infections, as well as a reduction in the frequency of infections with major organ system involvement and mortality due to infection with this microorganism. As a result, oxacillin can be considered as an effective treatment for late-onset sepsis, making it possible to avoid broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Abstract Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus has been identified as the main nosocomial agent of neonatal late-onset sepsis. However, based on the pharmacokinetics and erratic distribution of vancomycin, recommended empirical dose is not ideal, due to the inappropriate serum levels that have been measured in neonates. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of vancomycin used in newborns and compare the prediction of adequate serum levels based on doses calculated according to mg/kg/day and m2/day. This is an observational reprospective cohort at a referral neonatal unit, from 2011 to 2013. Newborns treated with vancomycin for the first episode of late-onset sepsis were included. Total dose in mg/kg/day, dose/m2/day, age, weight, body surface and gestational age were identified as independent variables. For predictive analysis of adequate serum levels, multiple linear regressions were performed. The Receiver Operating Characteristic curve for proper serum vancomycin levels was also obtained. A total of 98 patients received 169 serum dosages of the drug, 41 (24.3%) of the doses had serum levels that were defined as appropriate. Doses prescribed in mg/kg/day and dose/m2/day predicted serum levels in only 9% and 4% of cases, respectively. Statistical significance was observed with higher doses when the serum levels were considered as appropriate (p < 0.001). A dose of 27 mg/kg/day had a sensitivity of 82.9% to achieve correct serum levels of vancomycin. Although vancomycin has erratic serum levels and empirical doses cannot properly predict the target levels, highest doses in mg/kg/day were associated with adequate serum levels.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare Associated Infections constitute an important problem in Neonatal Units and invasive devices are frequently involved. However, studies on risk factors of newborns who undergo surgical procedures are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection in neonates undergoing surgical procedures. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted from January 2008 to May 2011, in a referral center. Cases were of 21 newborns who underwent surgery and presented the first episode of laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection. Control was 42 newborns who underwent surgical procedures without notification of laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection in the study period. Information was obtained from the database of the Hospital Infection Control Committee Notification of infections and related clinical data of patients that routinely collected by trained professionals and follow the recommendations of Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences. RESULTS: During the study period, 1141 patients were admitted to Neonatal Unit and 582 Healthcare Associated Infections were reported (incidence-density of 25.75 Healthcare Associated Infections/patient-days). In the comparative analysis, a higher proportion of laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection was observed in preterm infants undergoing surgery (p = 0.03) and use of non-invasive ventilation was a protective factor (p = 0.048). Statistically significant difference was also observed for mechanical ventilation duration (p = 0.004), duration of non-invasive ventilation (p = 0.04), and parenteral nutrition duration (p = 0.003). In multivariate analysis duration of parenteral nutrition remained significantly associated with laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Shortening time on parenteral nutrition whenever possible and preference for non-invasive ventilation in neonates undergoing surgery should be considered in the assistance of these patients, with the goal of reducing Healthcare Associated Infections, especially laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection.

Antimicrobial treatment is often indicated to neutropenic patients. Although renal failure is a common complication of many antibiotics, no information could be found in the literature defining which are the best screening criteria for detecting renal injury. In this paper, the authors aim to assess the progress to renal failure in neutropenic patients on antimicrobial use and to compare different diagnostic criteria of renal failure in association to antimicrobial agents used. This is a cohort study conducted from February to August 2006 at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, which included patients with neutropenia and antimicrobial therapy for the treatment of Healthcare Associated Infections notified by the Hospital Infection Control Committee. Renal injury has ensued in 25% of patients and no statistical difference between distinct criteria for renal injury was observed. Association of greater number of antimicrobials was associated with renal impairment. Time required for renal injury was independent of the antimicrobial regimen used, but mortality among patients with renal injury was higher when compared to those who had preserved renal function.