Increase in the diagnosis of mycobacteremia after the implementation of semi-automated blood culture at a Brazilian public health laboratory.

Introduction: The prevalence of hematogenous dissemination of mycobacteria is high in immunosuppressed patients. The isolation of mycobacteria in culture remains the standard procedure.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on the results of solid (Löwenstein-Jensen medium) and semi-automated liquid (BACTEC 9240) blood cultures, obtained from the Lacen-GO database.

Impact of Implementing 100% Rapid Review as a Quality Control Tool in Cervical Cytology.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing 100% rapid review (100% RR) as a quality control tool in cervical smear cytology.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which cytology findings, false-negative results, and quality indicators were evaluated. The variables were analyzed in 2004, the year in which 100% RR was implemented, and again in 2013, i.

Reproducibility of cervical cytopathology following an intervention by an external quality control laboratory.

Background: This study assessed the effects of a continued education program on the agreement between cervical cytopathology exams interpreted by local laboratories and interpretation made by an external quality control laboratory (LabMEQ).

Methods: Overall, 9,798 exams were analyzed between 2007 and 2008, prior to implementation of a continued education program, and 10,028 between 2010 and 2011, following implementation. Continued education consisted of theoretical and practical classes held every two months.

Internal quality control for cervical cytopathology: comparison of potential false-negatives detected at rapid prescreening and at 100% rapid review.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of rapid prescreening (RPS) and 100% rapid review (RR-100%) as internal quality control (IQC) methods assessed by outcome at colposcopy, histopathology and repeat cytopathology for cases with false-negative results on cervical cytopathology at routine screening (RS).

Study Design: Out of 12,208 cytology smears analyzed, 900 were abnormal. Of these, 656 were identified at RS, and 244 were false-negative, with 90.

Internal quality control indicators of cervical cytopathology exams performed in laboratories monitored by the External Quality Control Laboratory.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of continued education provided by an external quality control laboratory on the indicators of internal quality control of cytopathology exams.

Methods: The internal quality assurance indicators for cytopathology exams from 12 laboratories monitored by the External Quality Control Laboratory were evaluated. Overall, 185,194 exams were included, 98,133 of which referred to the period preceding implementation of a continued education program, while 87,061 referred to the period following this intervention.

External quality control of cervical cytopathology: interlaboratory variability.

Objective: To compare the variability of screening tests held at laboratories with the Unit for External Quality Control (UEQC), checking the frequency of cases that were discordant, false-positive, false-negative, unsatisfactory or that had a delay in clinical management and diagnostic agreement.

Materials And Methods: The study analyzed 10,053 screening tests from January 2007 to December 2008, including all positive cases, all those that fall under unsatisfactory and at least 10% of negative screening tests. The magnitude of the agreement was analyzed using the kappa coefficient.

[Women with atypical, precursor lesions and invasive cervical cancer: behaviors according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health].

Purpose: To verify whether women with atypias of undetermined significance and precursor lesions or invasive cervical outcomes were referred to Medium Complexity Units (MCU) following the guidelines recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Methods: Retrospective study based on the cytopathological outcomes of users of the Unified Health System, seen at Basic Health Assistance Units (BHAU) and referred to MCUs in the municipality of Goiânia, state of Goiás, from 2005 to 2006. We assessed 832 records according to the recommendations of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, as established by the Brazilian Nomenclature for Cervical Cytopathologic Outcomes and Recommended Clinical Practice.

Improvement in the routine screening of cervical smears: A study using rapid prescreening and 100% rapid review as internal quality control methods.

Background: High rates of false-negative results constitute a routine problem in cytology laboratories. Of currently available internal quality control methods, 10% random review is the least effective in detecting false-negatives in routine screening. There is evidence that 100% rapid review and rapid prescreening perform well for this purpose.

[Influence of adequacy of the sample on detection of the precursor lesions of the cervical cancer].

Purpose: to evaluate whether the sample adequacy influences the detection of precursor cervical cancer lesions.

Methods: a transversal study from January 2004 to December 2005. A number of 10,951 results of cervical cytopathological exams from users of the National Health System (Sistema Unico de Saúde, SUS) in Goiânia, Goiás , Brazil, was studied.

Comparison of the performance of rapid prescreening, 10% random review, and clinical risk criteria as methods of internal quality control in cervical cytopathology.

Background: Rapid prescreening (RPS) is an internal quality-control (IQC) method that is used both to reduce errors in the laboratory and to measure the sensitivity of routine screening (RS). Little direct comparison data are available comparing RPS with other more widely used IQC methods.

Methods: The authors compared the performance of RPS, 10% random review of negative smears (R-10%), and directed rescreening of negative smears based on clinical risk criteria (RCRC) over 1 year in a community clinic setting.