Introducción: La peritonitis bacteriana espontánea (PBE) es una de las complicaciones infecciosas más frecuentes que afectan a los pacientes con cirrosis y ascitis descompensadas, la cual presenta un alto índice de mortalidad. Objetivo: Identificar los principales agentes causantes de la PBE en un Hospital Universitario entre los años 2008 y 2011. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal de resultados positivos de cultivos de líquido ascítico. Se obtuvieron variables clínicas y de laboratorio de los registros médicos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 47 pacientes de 55,7 ± 15,5 años de edad con cultivos positivos de líquido ascítico, de los cuales 70,2% eran hombres y 53,6% presentaba cirrosis. Todos los pacientes cirróticos presentaron GASA ≥ 1,1 y conteo promedio de neutrófilos en el líquido ascítico de 3.260,8 ± 5.122,9 células. El microbio encontrado más frecuentemente fue el Escherichia coli (25,5%), seguido por el Klebsiella (14,9%), el Enterococcus (8,5%) y el Streptococcus (8,5%). No se observaron diferencias significativas cuando se compararon los pacientes cirróticos con los no cirróticos respecto a la prevalencia del E. coli (19,2% vs. 33,3%; p= 0,270), Klebsiella (19,2% vs. 9,5%; p= 0,436), Enterococcus (7,7% vs. 9,5%; p= 1,000) y Streptococcus (15,4% vs. 0,0%; p= 0,117). La presencia de infección causada por dos o más microbios es más común entre las personas sin cirrosis (11,5% vs. 38,1%; p= 0,047). Conclusión: El perfil microbiológico de los cultivos de líquido ascítico de este hospital es similar al de otros estudios relacionados con el PBE, con prevalencia de bacterias Gram negativas.

Introduction: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), one of the most frequent infectious complications experienced by patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ascites, has a high mortality rate. Objective: Our objective was to identify the main agents causing SBP at a University Hospital between 2008 and 2011. Methods: A cross-sectional study of positive results from ascitic fluid cultures was carried out. Clinical and laboratory variables were extracted from the medical records. Results: 47 patients with positive ascitic fluid cultures were included. Average age was 55.7 years ± 15.5 years, 70.2% were men, and 53.6% of patients presented cirrhosis. All cirrhotic patients presented GASA ≥ 1.1 and mean neutrophil count in the ascitic fluid of 3,260.8 ± 5,122.9 cells. The most frequent germs found were Escherichia coli (25.5%), Klebsiella (14.9%), Enterococcus (8.5%) and Streptococcus (8.5%). No significant differences were observed between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients regarding the prevalence of E.coli (19.2% vs. 33.3%; P=0.270), Klebsiella (19.2% vs. 9.5%; P=0,436), Enterococcus (7.7% vs. 9.5%; P=1.000) or Streptococcus (15.4% vs. 0.0%; P=0.117). The presence of infection by two or more germs was more common among individuals without cirrhosis (11.5% vs. 38.1%; P=0.047). Conclusion: The microbiological profile of ascitic fluid cultures showed a prevalence of gram-negative bacteria similar to other studies related to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Introduction Despite the great advances in serological testing for transfusion-transmitted infections, the selection of blood donors by blood bank operators remains the only way to avoid transmission within the testing window period. Part of this selection is the self-exclusion form, on which the donors can exclude their blood from donation without any explanation. This study assessed the clinical and epidemiological characteristics related to positivity for viral hepatitis and to the use of the confidential self-exclusion (CSE) form. Methods This transversal study analyzed the data collected from blood donors' files in a hospital in Southern Brazil. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the clinical and epidemiological variables related to positive serologies of viral hepatitis and to whether the donor was self-excluded. Results Of the 3,180 donors included in this study, 0.1% tested positive for HBsAg, 2.1% for anti-HBc, and 0.9% for anti-HCV. When the 93 donors with positive serologies for viral hepatitis were compared with those who were negative, a greater proportion of the positive serology group was found to have had a history of blood transfusions (OR=4.908; 95%CI=1.628 - 14.799; p<0.01), had repeatedly donated (OR=2.147; 95%CI=1.236 - 3.729; p<0.01), and used the CSE form for self-exclusion (OR=7.139; 95%CI=2.045 - 24.923; p<0.01). No variables were independently associated with self-exclusion. Conclusions A history of blood transfusion, repeated donations, and self-exclusion are factors that should be considered during viral hepatitis screenings in blood banks.