Introduction: Bronchoscopic is a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure performed by introducing a flexible tube in the airways that allows for the visualization even of the smallest airways. In order to prevent or reduce the risk of infection, the bronchoscope must be adequately disinfected with at least high level disinfection. Purpose: Check for the risk of bacterial contamination for patients submitted to bronchoscopy at the Hospital São Paulo of Unifesp University, State of São Paulo. Methods: From 1997 to 1998, bronchoscope reprocessing included cleaning, rinsing with sterile or potable water, followed by rinsing with 2% glutaraldehyde for 20 minutes, rinsing again with sterile or potable water, and rinsing with 70% ethyl alcohol, and forced-air drying through the suction channel. Samples of 65 patients were collected for microbiologic tests by instilling sterile saline solution through the suction channel of the bronchoscope. Results: After reprocessing, the following were found in the samples: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterobacter sp, Acinetobacter baumanni, Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus beta hemoliticus A, Staphylococcus coagulase negative, and mycobacterial growth was found in the culture of five samples. Conclusions: Bronchoscope disinfection with 2% glutaraldehyde was not sufficient to assured disinfection of the scope and the presence of Staphylococcus epidermidis shows that there was bronchoscope contamination due to handling after disinfection.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) in predicting extubation failure among adult patients in the intensive care unit and to determine the appropriateness of the classical RSBI cut-off value. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted in the adult intensive care unit of the Botucatu School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas. The RSBI was evaluated in 73 consecutive patients considered clinically ready for extubation. Results: The classical RSBI cut-off value (105 breaths/min/L) presented a sensitivity of 20% and a specificity of 95% (sum = 115%). Analysis of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve revealed a better cut-off value (76.5 breaths/min/L), which presented a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 74% (sum = 140%). The area under the ROC curve for the RSBI was 0.78. Conclusions: The classical RSBI cut-off value proved inappropriate, predicting only 20% of the cases of extubation failure in our sample. The new cut-off value provided substantial improvement in sensitivity, with an acceptable loss of specificity. The area under the ROC curve indicated that the discriminative power of the RSBI is satisfactory, which justifies the validation of this index for use.

Keywords: Adult; Intensive care; ROC curve; Ventilator weaning; Diagnosis; Respiration, artificial.