title: [Nosocomial sinusitis in an intensive care unit: a microbiological study].
abstract: Nosocomial sinusitis is a common complication of patients in ICUs. Its diagnosis is important, and early treatment is required to avoid serious complications such as pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, and intracranial abscesses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the germs causing sinusitis in ICUs by nasal swabs and maxillary sinus puncture, and to correlate these results.
  
  
  METHODS
  ICU patients with a diagnosis (CT confirmed) of maxillary sinusitis underwent nasal swab and puncture of the sinus to collect material for culture and antibiogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study evaluated 22 patients. The microbial agent isolated in the swab correlated with the agent in the puncture in 14 of 22 cases (63%). Gram-negative bacteria were the most frequent, as follows: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (29% of punctures), following by Proteus mirabillis (26%) and Acinetobacter baumanni (14%). The resistance index in the antibiogram was high to antibiotics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maxillary sinus puncture of ICU patients with sinusitis appears to be the best method for identifying bacteria; antibiograms demonstrate resistance to therapy. The swab has little diagnostic value; the correlation was 63%. It may be used when sinus puncture is contraindicated.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo.
authors.forename: Leonardo Lopes
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Balsalobre Filho
authors.forename: Fernando Mirage Jardim
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavalcante
authors.forename: Rodrigo de Paula
authors.initials: Rde P
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Luis Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gregório
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D015523:Maxillary Sinusitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed