Frequency of colonization and isolated bacteria from the tip of epidural catheter implanted for postoperative analgesia.
OBJECTIVE
The increased use of epidural analgesia with catheter leads to the need to demonstrate the safety of this method and know the incidence of catheter colonization, inserted postoperatively for epidural analgesia, and the bacteria responsible for this colonization.


METHODS
From November 2011 to April 2012, patients electively operated and maintained under epidural catheter for postoperative analgesia were evaluated. The catheter tip was collected for semiquantitative and qualitative microbiological analysis.


RESULTS
Of 68 cultured catheters, six tips (8.8%) had positive cultures. No patient had superficial or deep infection. The mean duration of catheter use was 43.45 h (18-118) (p=0.0894). The type of surgery (contaminated or uncontaminated), physical status of patients, and surgical time showed no relation with the colonization of catheters. Microorganisms isolated from the catheter tip were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Sphingomonas paucimobilis.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative epidural catheter analgesia, under these study conditions, was found to be low risk for bacterial colonization in patients at surgical wards.
Health Sciences (HS), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: deboramdiogo@yahoo.com.br.
Débora Miranda Diogo
DM
Stabille
Postgraduate Program, Ciências da Saúde (CS), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgia Digestiva, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Augusto
A
Diogo Filho
Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Beatriz Lemos da Silva
BL
Mandim
Faculdade de Matemática da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Lúcio Borges
LB
de Araújo
Health Sciences (HS), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Priscila Miranda Diogo
PM
Mesquita
Postgraduate Program, Ciências da Saúde (CS), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Miguel Tanús
MT
Jorge
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
Anestesia epidural; Bacteria; Bactérias; Epidural anesthesia; Infection; Infecção