Exams dismiss infection by viruses, bacteria or fungi in patients Curuçá
Writing the News Agency of Pará Updated 13/12/2012 at 14:25
The Secretary of State for Public Health, Helio Franco, reported on Thursday, 13, at a news conference that the servers and patients of the Hospital Municipal Curuçá were victims of poisoning by ammonium thiocyanate, a chemical component of the fixer radiography, which damaged packaging allowed the liquid leaked and spread by the hospital environment. Helio explained that inadequate cleaning of the environment, using bleach and alcohol caused the substance to become volatile and be inhaled by people in the hospital.
With test results in hand, Helio Franco said is totally ruled out infection by viruses, bacteria or fungus. Tests on samples of blood and urine of patients were performed by the Central Laboratory of the State (Lacen), Instituto Evandro Chagas (IEC) and another lab outside the state. "It is not virus, not fungus, not bacteria," emphasized Helio Franco. "This is an episode restricted to hospital and there is no risk of transmission from one person to another," he said.
According Helio Franco, normal is that the human organism load up 4mg/litro ammonium thiocyanate. Among smokers, the rate doubles up.However, people are not affected in Curuçá smokers and some had high rates of substance, varying according to the time of exposure to the chemical.
It was also informed by the clerk that the patient's death Jhenyffer Roberta Abreu dos Passos, held at the Santa Casa de Misericordia of Pará, has no relation to the case of Curuçá, although she spent there.According to report of the Center for Scientific Skills Renato Chaves, she died of generalized infection, which began with a urinary tract infection, which is common in pregnant women, but can affect the kidneys if not treated appropriately. An examination of the IEC also pointed out that it was dengue.
About the victims of intoxication, Helio Franco said they will continue to be monitored and receiving all the support Sespa. "It is important that they are monitored their kidney function, liver and respiratory diseases," he said. The infectious disease doctor and epidemiologist Helen Brigido, the Sespa, explained that the human body thiocyanate ammonia turns into cyanide, and removes iron from hemoglobin, impairing their function oxygenation of the body, which explains the symptoms like shortness of breath , vaginal bleeding and Digestive and tingling in hands and feet.
The antidote of thiocyanate is an injectable drug called Hidroxocobalina."The drug binds to cyanide, which prevents it from attaching and remove iron from hemoglobin and is eliminated in the urine," said Helena. The drug is only used in part of the 32 patients affected by intoxication, especially in those with higher levels of thiocyanate. Those with low rates are eliminating the substance in the urine.
Initially, as the doctor, patients will be treated with the drug for ten days and will be reassessed on whether or not to continue treatment, since it can also produce side effects. Helena said, finally, that these people should remain under the control and monitoring interdicted by time, to reduce the risk of pulmonary and neurologic sequelae.
The secretary Helio Franco said the Municipal Hospital Curuçá was sanitized by a specialized company and will be reopened from this Thursday, with support from Sespa, who provided some equipment, medicines and supplies to improve the service. He said the hospital needs to be reclassified, because its structure is out of the current technical standards of the Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA).
The Health Secretary took the opportunity to advise people to avoid making cleaning environments, including home, using different chemicals, it is not known which can result in a mixture of these substances. He suggests that they be used only soap and water and that the environments are kept fresh. "It's always good to let the wind and sun come in, because in dry environment, the bacteria die," he said.
Franco warned, though, about the care that health professionals should take with chemicals and the proper disposal of these products as well as medicines and hospital supplies. It is therefore important that all hospitals have committees Infection Control. "If the case had been Curuçá immediately reported to the Health Surveillance, the consequences would have been lower," he noted. http://www.agenciapara.com.br/noticia.asp?id_ver=113876
