OBJETIVOS: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a incidência de perfuração de luvas utilizadas em operações e atendimentos de urgência realizados no Serviço de Emergência do Departamento de Cirurgia da Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, num período de dois meses. MÉTODOS: Foram analisadas 2613 luvas, sendo 252 em 42 operações e 2361 em atendimentos na Sala de Emergência. As luvas foram testadas pelo método de insuflação com água. RESULTADOS: Houve perfuração em 41 luvas durante o ato operatório (16,3%), sendo que a maior porcentagem ocorreu nas urgências traumáticas (33%). As perfurações decorrentes do atendimento na sala de emergência ocorreram em 7,3% das luvas. CONCLUSÃO: Concluiu-se que o índice de perfuração foi significativo, mais frequente em urgências traumáticas e que, no campo operatório, o cirurgião é o elemento mais vulnerável da equipe.

OBJECTIVE: Gloves are the most important barriers that protect hospital personnel and patients. Unfortunately, glove perforation rates reach up to 78% in high risk procedures. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the glove perforation rate in emergency procedures carried out in the Emergency Service of "Santa Casa de São Paulo", School of Medicine. METHODS: The study analyzed all gloves used in the emergency room during a 2 months period. Gloves were tested immediately after the surgical procedure using the approved standardized water leak method. RESULTS: A total of 252 surgical gloves used by residents in 42 surgical procedures and 2361 gloves used in emergency procedures were tested for the presence of punctures by the water insuflation method. Forty one (16.3%) of the gloves tested showed at least one puncture, 18 (33%) in traumatic emergencies. The overall perforation rate in the emergency room was 7,3%. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the incidence of punctures in gloves during surgical procedures was high, and occurred mostly with surgeons.

The most challenging diagnostic issue in the management of thoracoabdominal wounds concerns the assessment of asymptomatic patients. In almost one-third of such cases, diaphragmatic injuries are present even in the absence of any clear clinical signs. The sensitivity of noninvasive diagnostic tests is very low in this situation, and acceptable methods for diagnosis are limited to videolaparoscopy or videothoracoscopy. However, these procedures are performed under general anesthesia and present real, and potentially unnecessary, risks for the patient. On the other hand, diaphragmatic hernias, which can result from unsutured diaphragmatic lesions, are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. In this paper, the management of asymptomatic patients sustaining wounds to the lower chest is discussed, with a focus on the diagnosis of diaphragmatic injuries and the necessity of suturing them.