1 of 2 Claudia Alencar in a scene from the 1995 soap opera “Cara & Coroa” — Photo: Nelson Di Rago/TV Globo Claudia Alencar in a scene from the 1995 soap opera “Cara & Coroa” — Photo: Nelson Di Rago/TV Globo
The actress Claudia AlencarThe 73yearold showed a “significant improvement” in her health in recent hours, according to the bulletin published on Monday (25) by the São Vicente Hospital, where she has been admitted since the 16th.
Contact with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is common, but in extreme cases can lead to a generalized infection, “sepsis”. The microorganism is one of the most common microorganisms found on human skin and usually causes simple problems that can be treated with antibiotics.
Below you will learn what staphylococci are, what type of disease they can cause, what symptoms occur and how they can be treated.
Doctors are investigating whether she has a new bacteria in addition to the one already identified. They will also analyze the material collected.
On Saturday (23) the actress needed a blood transfusion to treat discovered anemia.
The artist is being treated as an inpatient at the Clínica São Vicente in Gávea, in the southern zone of Rio de Janeiro.
On Saturday, Yann Hatchuel, the actress' son, explained on g1 that Claudia's clinical condition was “serious” and the situation was “difficult.” However, his mother was “very combative”.
Away from television since 2017, when she starred in the soap opera “Rock Story” on TV Globo, the actress rose to prominence in storylines such as “Tieta” (1989) and “Fera Ferida” (1993). In both cases, his roles started out smaller and grew in importance as the plot progressed.
2 of 2 Claudia Alencar during recordings of the soap opera “Esplendor”, from the year 2000 — Photo: Jorge Baumann/TV Globo Claudia Alencar during recordings of the soap opera “Esplendor”, from the year 2000 — Photo: Jorge Baumann/TV Globo
In addition to these soap operas, Claudia appeared in other TV Globo hits such as “Roda de Fogo” (1986) and “Porto dos Milagres” (1991), as well as in series such as “Hilda Furacão” (1998) and “Quinto dos with Infernos” (2002).
Claudia was recently cast in a role in Beleza Fatal, an HBO Max soap opera scheduled to premiere in 2024.
What are staphylococci?
Staphylococci are a type of bacteria. The most common type is Staphylococcus aureus, but there are dozens of others. Staphylococci are found on the surface of the skin in about 20% of people and in the nose in 30% of adults, which is considered normal.
According to Juvêncio Furtado, infectious disease doctor and professor at the ABC Faculty of Medicine, there are staphylococci that are called “domestic” or “communal,” usually sensitive to antibiotics and causing less severe infections. But there are also “hospital patients” who are significantly more resistant.
“What is on our skin generally does not cause disease, except in people whose immunity is severely compromised,” he explains. People who spend more than 72 hours in the hospital can be colonized by more resistant staphylococci.
Some even resist the antibiotic methicillin and are known by the acronym SARM. “The same bacteria can acquire greater resistance properties in different environments,” says Furtado.
These bacteria can be dangerous if they enter the bloodstream, but common staphylococci rarely cause serious infections. According to Ana Escobar, pediatrician, this can mainly happen through skin injuries.
“If the skin is intact, the bacteria don’t do anything. But if there is a cut, it can penetrate,” explains Ana. In addition to infections in the skin itself, staphylococci can also affect other distant organs.
“It depends a little bit on each individual’s immune system. “Our system is fundamentally very effective,” says the doctor. In some, rarer cases, the microorganism can also be absorbed through the mouth, through contaminated food and spread throughout the body in the gastrointestinal tract.
Even in socalled “blunt trauma,” perhaps caused by falls, hits, or other common accidents in children, the bacteria can spread internally without showing any visible signs.
What are the symptoms of an infection?
Staphylococci have great “invasive power,” says Ana, and therefore the infection can develop quickly. To prevent more aggressive contamination, you need to be aware of the symptoms of infection.
These are signs that an infectious process may have begun:
- Fever,
- Malaise,
- body pain,
- excessive fatigue and
- Vomit.
If these symptoms occur, a doctor should be consulted. Diagnosis within the first 24 hours is crucial, including for eventual confirmation of the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. This is because it acts quickly on the body. “It usually takes one to two days for something to develop,” explains the doctor.
Staph infections are among the fastestdeveloping — as are those caused by another type of bacteria, meningococcus, which led Arthur's doctors to diagnose meningitis.
According to Furtado, the excessive and sometimes unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to the selection of more resistant bacteria. Cases of serious contamination with “community” staphylococci, which are usually present on the skin, are still rare but can occur.
“I already had a patient who cut himself while shaving. There are only a few cases, but the inappropriate use of antibiotics by humans ultimately causes these bacteria to become more resistant than usual.”
For this to happen, the sum of two rare elements is necessary: the patient's low immunity and the penetration of a large number of more resistant bacteria into the bloodstream.
According to Ana Escobar, the best way to avoid bacterial infections caused by staph is to wash your hands and the area injured by a cut, small accident, pimple, etc. with soap and water. “If blood has come out, you must wash it with soap and water, always the best disinfectant, and pay attention to whether signs of infection appear,” he explains.
If the wound takes a long time to heal or signs of inflammation such as redness, pus or severe pain appear, it is best to see a doctor quickly. The same applies to cases of “blunt trauma”. If you have a fever and feel unwell after the incident, you need to see a doctor.
To prevent food from becoming contaminated by bacteria, it is also important to wash it thoroughly, as well as your hands and utensils, not to leave it at room temperature for too long and to cook it carefully.
If the infection is not recognized and treated in time, it can affect several organs at the same time. “If it progresses, the situation does not improve, it could be a more resistant bacteria,” says Furtado, adding that this clinical condition is called “sepsis” or “septicemia.”
Bacteria can cause many different types of infections: including in the lungs (pneumonia), in the bones (osteomyelitis), in the heart (endocarditis), in the membranes surrounding the brain (meningitis).
Sepsis is a generalized inflammation that affects the entire body
When the infection affects multiple organs in an uncontrolled manner, “septic shock” occurs, a condition even more serious than sepsis. In this case, the probability of death is around 80%.
However, shock occurs more frequently in hospitalized patients. This can occur after the generalized infection worsens and can affect the entire body systemically.
The drop in blood pressure leads to the failure of several organs and thus death. “Our body is like a minefield. In the end, nothing can protect it and these mines start to explode,” Ana adds. “This affects the ability to maintain blood pressure, adequate blood flow, blood oxygenation, etc.”
Like all other bacteria, staphylococci are treated with antibiotics. However, a specific antibiotic is used for each bacterium. Only the doctor can judge which remedy to prescribe. “Depending on the clinical picture and the examinations, the doctor can assume which bacteria are affecting the patient,” emphasizes Ana.
“If the infection is very serious, there is no time to wait for test results. The doctor can give two or three antibiotics at the same time and then use only the most appropriate one,” he adds.
In case of generalized infection, doctors constantly assess the person's condition and conduct clinical examinations to identify the type of bacteria. Hospitals already have established protocols for sepsis cases.
Furtado states that it is sometimes necessary to prioritize antibiotics depending on the severity of the case. “Most infections do not develop into sepsis, which is when the infection has already reached the bloodstream. Depending on the development of the disease, the doctor decides which antibiotic to recommend,” he says.
He remembers that in addition to antibiotics for hospitalizations and hospital infections, it is also important to control the blood volume in the body and blood pressure.