Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and intestinal parasites are common in Brazil. Previous studies have shown that infection with Strongyloides stercoralis is frequently associated with HIV infection. Strongyloidiasis is difficult to diagnosis and stool examination with conventional techniques fails to detect the helminth larvae. We made a prospective study, to test the efficacy of the agar plate technique to detect S. stercoralis in 211 HIV-positive patients and 213 HIV-negative patients in the city of Itajaí, Brazil, between September 2001 and June 2002. The feces samples of these patients were processed and analyzed according to the following methods: Lutz, formalin ethyl acetate, Baermann, Harada-Mori and agar plate culture. HIV-positive patients were more frequently infected by S. stercoralis (odds ratio= 5,.687). Among the methods used on fecal specimens, the larvae of S. stercoralis were most efficiently detected by the agar plate (69.7%) method, followed by the Baermann and the formalin ethyl acetate methods (48.5%) (P=0.01), Lutz (42.4%) (P=0.01), and Harada-Mori culture (24%) (P=0.001). Therefore agar plate culture is the most efficient method for the detection of S. stercoralis larvae and this technique should be the test of choice, especially in immunocompromised patients.

A presente pesquisa teve por objetivo, compreender e avaliar os estados reacionais de pacientes portadores de hanseníase e o tratamento das reações. O método de abordagem do estudo foi indutivo, tendo como base o referencial bibliográfico, tomou-se como fonte de dados os prontuários dos portadores de hanseníase, disponíveis no programa de controle de hanseníase da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Itajaí. Através deste trabalho com os 78 pacientes inscritos no programa sujeitos da pesquisa, observou-se que: 60,3% tem de 15-49 anos; 65,4% são do sexo masculino; 70,5% manifestam a forma Virchowiana da doença; 60,3% apresentam estados reacionais durante tratamento; metade destes aproximadamente apresentaram quadro clínico de neurite, tendo sido tratados com prednisona, também se observou outros sintomas clínicos em escala menor como o eritema nodoso hansênico, e o tratamento de escolha sempre que possível é a talidomida; e 11,5% apresentaram para efeitos ao tratamento com multidrogas. A avaliação dos estados reacionais indica que, mais da metade dos portadores em tratamento apresentam esta manifestação imunológica. É julgada pela literatura como conseqüência da doença e possível reação ao esquema poliquimioterápico.

The present research had as objetive to undestand and to evaluate the reactional episodes of pacients who had hansen disease and the treatment of the reactions. The method of the approach of the study was made by indicement base the referential bibliografhy, it was taken as data the reports of pacients of hanse's avaible the control program of leprosy in the control of Itajaí. Through this work with the 78 pacients enrolled and subjects of this search it was observed that: 60,3% is between 15-49 years of age; 65,4% presents reactional episodes during treatment, half of these approximatly presented clinic symptons of neuritis, have being treates with prednisona, it was also observed other smaller clinic symtoms as erythema nodosum leprosum and the first choice of treatment is always with if possible is a talidomida. The evaliation of the reactional episodes indicates that more than half of the pacients in treatment present this immunological manifestacion. It is judged by the literature as the disease consequence and a possible reaction to the polichemiotherapy.

A presente pesquisa teve por objetivo, compreender e avaliar os estados reacionais de pacientes portadores de hanseníase e o tratamento das reações. O método de abordagem do estudo foi indutivo, tendo como base o referencial bibliográfico, tomou-se como fonte de dados os prontuários dos portadores de hanseníase, disponíveis no programa de controle de hanseníase da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Itajaí. Através deste trabalho com os 78 pacientes inscritos no programa sujeitos da pesquisa, observou-se que: 60,3% tem de 15-49 anos; 65,4% são do sexo masculino; 70,5% manifestam a forma Virchowiana da doença; 60,3% apresentam estados reacionais durante tratamento; metade destes aproximadamente apresentaram quadro clínico de neurite, tendo sido tratados com prednisona, também se observou outros sintomas clínicos em escala menor como o eritema nodoso hansênico, e o tratamento de escolha sempre que possível é a talidomida; e 11,5% apresentaram para efeitos ao tratamento com multidrogas. A avaliação dos estados reacionais indica que, mais da metade dos portadores em tratamento apresentam esta manifestação imunológica. É julgada pela literatura como conseqüência da doença e possível reação ao esquema poliquimioterápico.

The present research had as objetive to undestand and to evaluate the reactional episodes of pacients who had hansen disease and the treatment of the reactions. The method of the approach of the study was made by indicement base the referential bibliografhy, it was taken as data the reports of pacients of hanse's avaible the control program of leprosy in the control of Itajaí. Through this work with the 78 pacients enrolled and subjects of this search it was observed that: 60,3% is between 15-49 years of age; 65,4% presents reactional episodes during treatment, half of these approximatly presented clinic symptons of neuritis, have being treates with prednisona, it was also observed other smaller clinic symtoms as erythema nodosum leprosum and the first choice of treatment is always with if possible is a talidomida. The evaliation of the reactional episodes indicates that more than half of the pacients in treatment present this immunological manifestacion. It is judged by the literature as the disease consequence and a possible reaction to the polichemiotherapy.