Facade of the Mário Gattinho Hospital, in Campinas (SP) Reproduction/EPTV Health Surveillance closed a thermodisinfector at the Material and Sterilization Center (CME) of the Mário Gattinho Pediatric Unit, in Campinas (SP). The measure was published in the Official Gazette this Monday (13). According to the publication, the ban occurred after an analysis showed that the purified water used in the equipment was outside the required microbiological standards. Health Surveillance collected the material for analysis on June 10. The report, released on July 1st, indicated a quantity of heterotrophic bacteria above the limit established by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. According to the city hall, the equipment stopped being used on the same day the results were ready. Since then, materials from the pediatric unit have been processed at the Material and Sterilization Center at Hospital Municipal Dr. Mário Gatti. ? The thermodisinfector is used to clean and disinfect hospital materials. Therefore, the quality of the water used in the process needs to follow specific safety standards. In a statement, Rede Mário Gatti reported that the ban did not affect services or procedures at the unit. According to the administration, the CME at Hospital Municipal Dr. Mário Gatti is absorbing all demand during this period. According to Health Surveillance, no cases of infection or other adverse events related to the situation were recorded. The agency also explained that heterotrophic bacteria can be found in various environments, including water, and that inspections are carried out to check whether the quantity of these microorganisms is within established limits. The Health Surveillance registered the irregularity through an infraction notice and ordered the equipment to be banned. According to the city hall, there will be no fines imposed in this case.
Health Surveillance bans sterilization equipment from Mário Gattinho Hospital
Facade of the Mário Gattinho Hospital, in Campinas (SP) Reproduction/EPTV Health Surveillance closed a thermodisinfector at the Material and Sterilization Center (CME) of the Mário Gattinho Pediatric Unit, in Campinas...
Contingency plan To maintain activities during the closure, Rede Mário Gatti presented a contingency plan, which was approved by the Health Surveillance. In practice, the measure provides for the temporary use of the Material and Sterilization Center at the Dr. Mário Gatti Municipal Hospital to process materials from the pediatric unit while the thermodisinfector undergoes maintenance. Repairs to the equipment are underway and, according to the city hall, the maintenance is expected to be completed in around 20 days. The thermodisinfector will remain unused until repairs are completed and new tests are carried out. For the equipment to work again, a new analysis must confirm that the purified water meets the required standards. After that, the thermodisinfector will still need to undergo an inspection and be released by the Health Surveillance. What are heterotrophic bacteria? Heterotrophic bacteria are microorganisms that cannot produce their own food and represent the majority of bacteria found in the environment. According to infectious disease doctor Ana Rachel de Seni Rodrigues, they range from those that decompose organic matter to those capable of causing diseases in humans, such as staphylococci, streptococci and pseudomonas. A count above the limit, however, does not necessarily mean that the water is contaminated by microorganisms capable of causing disease. "In fact, heterotrophic bacteria mainly function as an indicator of global water quality. When their number rises beyond the limit, some water protection barrier has failed", explains Rodrigues. According to the expert, the change may be related, for example, to an insufficient amount of chlorine, the accumulation of dirt in the distribution pipes or problems in the reservoir. “It cannot be categorically stated that the previous materials that were being reprocessed in this machine were contaminated from a single water sample outside the parameters recommended by legislation”, highlights the infectious disease specialist. VIDEOS: everything about Campinas and the region See more news about the region on g1 Campinas
