Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(4):325-328
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000400010
OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a rapid antibody HIV test (DetermineTM - Abott) for women in labor between August 1, 2001, and October 5, 2002. METHODS: all parturient women who had not been tested for the detection of HIV during pregnancy or had the result of an HIV test not available at admission were included in the present study. Blood samples were collected at the moment of admission, and the rapid test was carried out and compared with the gold standard (ELISA and Western blot). RESULTS: in 298 pregnant women assessed, the rapid test was positive in 16 (5.3%), and the results were confirmed by ELISA and Western blot in 12 cases (4%). All negative results were confirmed by the ELISA and Western blot tests. CONCLUSIONS: the test presented 100% sensitivity, 98% specificity, 75% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value. These data show the importance of the rapid test for the detection of HIV infection in emergencies, such as imminent delivery of non-previously tested pregnant women.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2003;25(8):571-576
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032003000800005
PURPOSE: to estimate the prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in parturients admitted to the "Instituto Materno-Infantil de Pernambuco (IMIP)", Recife-PE, and to determine the serologic profile of the positive ones. METHODS: this is a prospective cross-sectional study where the VIDAS and VIDAS HBs systems were used for detection and confirmation of HBsAg, respectively. The parturients were randomly selected. In HBsAg+ patients, the other serologic markers were tested by the use of the AxSYM automated system. The newborn babies of HBsAg+ mothers were vaccinated with the Engerix B vaccine. RESULTS: among 1584 parturients, there were 9 (0.6%) HBsAg positive. None of them had anti-HBc IgM, thus they were all prevalent cases. In 1/9 (11.1%) of the HBsAg+ mothers, HBeAg was isolated and in 4/9 (44.4%), this antigen circulated along with its antibody, hence the importance of establishing the different magnitudes of risk of vertical transmission. Except for two newborn babies from a twin pregnancy (one with low birth weight), all presented seroconversion to anti-HBs with 3 doses of the vaccine. The premature twin babies showed seroconvertion only after the fourth dose of the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of hepatitis B among parturients at IMIP is relatively low and all patients diagnosed had the chronic form of the infection.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(3):175-179
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000300005
Purpose: to determine the presence of asymptomatic amniotic fluid infection in pregnant women, to identify the bacterial agents involved in the infection and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility in vitro. Methods: amniotic fluid samples were obtained by amniocentesis from 81 pregnant women without labor signs and without suspucion of clinical infection, attended at Maternidade Escola Assis Chateaubriand from August 1997 to January 1999. The presence of aerobic bacteria, strict/facultative anaerobic bacteria and genital mycoplasmas was investigated. The anaerobic bacteria were identified by the ATB SystemÒ (Biolab Mérieux) and mycoplasmas by the IST MycoplasmaÒ kit (Biolab-Mérieux). Results: among the obtained samples, eight (9.8%) showed positive culture and in two samples two different strains were identified. The isolated pathogens were Ureaplasma urealyticum (7 cases, 8.6%), Mycoplasma hominis (1 case, 1.2%) and Peptostreptococcus sp (2 cases, 2.4%). The antimicrobial susceptibility was characterized by great mycoplasma resistance to erythromycin (37.5%) and no resistance to cyclins. Conclusions: the percentage of asymptomatic infections was high, and furthe research is necessary to evaluate the asymptomatic infection consequences in pregnant women and their newborns, involving methods that identify genital mycoplasmas, which were the most frequently isolated bacteria.