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Biomedical subjects

A Ruiz

Publications and source records attributed to A Ruiz.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

[Practice variation and appropriateness study of antimicrobial therapy for acute pharyngotonsillitis in adults].

OBJECTIVE: Infectious pharyngotonsillitis is usually managed with antibiotics by general practitioners and pediatricians both in primary care and the emergency services. In the present work we try to assess the antibiotic variability and appropriateness in the management of acute pharyngotonsillitis among several emergency services in our country related to scientific evidence based in an expert panel criteria. METHOD: A transversal trial was carried on in ten emergency services of our country. We included patients older than fourteen years an analyzed the following variables: type of respiratory infection, antibiotic prescription, comorbidity, physician's status and hospital admission. The antibiotics were classified in three levels according to the expert panel criteria: first election, alternative use and inappropriate use. We compared the antibiotic treatments to these three levels. RESULTS: 2,869 patients were diagnosed of acute respiratory infection, 356 (12.4%) with pharyngotonsillitis. Commonly the patients were prescribed antibiotics (315; 81%) and the most used were amoxicillin-clavulanate (33%), amoxicillin (16%), penicillin (7%), cefuroxime (6%), erythromicin (4%) and cefixime (3%). Among the 315 prescriptions, 98 (32%) were first election, 147 (50%) alternative use and 50 (17%) inappropriate use. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the patients suffering of pharyngotonsillitis were empirically prescribed antibiotics probably many of these cases were non-bacterial pharyngotonsillitis. Alternative and inappropriate use of antibiotics was high.

Acute Disease↗

Cross-reactive antigens of Haemonchus contortus adult worms in Teladorsagia circumcincta infected goats.

The adult Haemonchus contortus somatic antigens responsible for cross-reactivity have been analysed using serum samples from goat kids infected and reinfected with Teladorsagia circumcincta. Goat kids infected with T. circumcincta had similar serum ELISA values against somatic antigens of H. contortus as goats infected with H. contortus itself. Immunoblotting confirmed this extensive cross-reactivity particularly in the molecular weight range 105-29 kDa. However, peptides with high (195, 152 and 119 kDa) or low (23 kDa) molecular weight were only faintly recognized by heterologous sera.

Animals↗

[Centrofacial necrosis secondary to cocaine use].

We report the medical case of a 40-year-old man with a history of years of cocaine abuse. He was admitted to our hospital for a septic process and purulent rhinorrhea. The clinical examination and craniofacial computed tomography revealed severe necrosis of the nasal septum, maxillary sinus, ethmoidal sinus, sphenoidal sinus and soft palate. In our experience, this is unusual, even for longstanding cocaine abusers.

Adult↗

[Study of various factors that could have an impact on the treatment with erythropoietin of hemodialysis anemia].

Several factors influence the efficacy of the action of human recombinant erythropoietin during treatment of anaemia in haemodialysis patients. We carried out a six-month prospective study of 23 stable patients who had been on haemodialysis for at least one year to attempt to evaluate those factors modifying the dose of the hormone to attain a similar haematocrit, such as use or not of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, hepatitis C virus positive or negative, age older or younger than 60 years, acquired cystic kidney disease or not, and sex. The patients were treated with subcutaneaous erythropoietin for over a year to attain a haematocrit of 35%, intravenous iron to reach plasma ferritin levels > 250 ng/ml and a transferrin saturation index > 20%, folic acid and group B vitamins. Parameters studied included age, time and duration of haemodialysis, Kt/V, albumin, haematocrit, erythropoietin in U/kg/week, intact PTH, hepatitis C virus, PCR of the hepatitis C virus, transaminases, ferritin, transferrin saturation index, folic acid, vitamin B12, and aluminium. No statistically significant differences were seen between the patients with and without hepatitis or in age or acquired cystic kidney disease and sex in the hormone dose given to achieve similar levels of haematocrit. Higher doses of erythropoietin were necessary in those patients treated with antihypertensive agents (71 +/- 25 vs 44 +/- 25 U/kg/week; p < 0.05). There were no differences between groups in factors known to cause resistance to the action of the hormone. The most important conclusions from this study concern the cost-benefit relation of treating hypertensive patients on haemodialysis with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and erythropoietin.

Age Factors↗

Influence of tumor localization on the prognostic value of P53 protein in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of genetic alterations is different in primary carcinomas from the proximal colon when compared with carcinomas from the distal colorectum. The objective of this work was to explore the existence of possible differences in the informative weight of the risk of tumor recurrence provided by p53 immunostaining depending on the localization of the neoplasm. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nuclear immunohistochemical expression of p53 protein was determined in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archival tumor tissue samples from 190 primary colorectal adenocarcinomas. The relative prognostic importance on the risk of recurrence of each variable was assessed in a Cox's proportional hazard regression analysis. Multiplicative interaction terms between p53 and tumor site were included in the multivariate models in order to test their joint effect on survival. RESULTS: One hundred and one patients (53.1%) manifested nuclear accumulation of the protein. P53 overexpression was more frequent in distal than in proximal tumors (58.5% ve s 41.7%) (p = 0.03). Disease-free survival was lower in p53-positive cases (75% versus 38%) (p = 0.006), but significance of the association varied according to the localization of the tumor (p = 0.004 in proximal carcinomas and p = 0.049 in distal carcinomas). Multivariate analysis identified p53 positivity and distal tumor localization as the factors significantly associated with a high risk of recurrence Interaction between p53 expression and localization was present. P53 exhibited different prognostic value in distal and proximal colon. While adjusted hazard ratio for positive p53 was 1.99 in distal cancers, it was 8.04 for proximal tumors. CONCLUSION: The prognostic with value of tumor recurrence associated overexpression of p53 protein is influenced by the location of the tumor. The negative predictive weight is significantly higher in proximal than in distal cancers.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The importance of employing homologous serum free of thyronines in radioimmunoassays to assess circulating thyroid hormones in rainbow trout.

Although abundant, available information regarding the values of circulating thyronines in the rainbow trout is misleading and confusing. The present study demonstrates the importance of maintaining species serum-homology when measuring thyronines with RIA to avoid spurious results. The utilization of homologous (trout) serum free of thyronines in the standard curve allowed the standardization of accurate and specific radioimmunoassays to quantitate circulating T3 and T4 levels in 10 microliters of rainbow trout serum. Detection limit was 50 pg for both thyronines. Inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation were minor to 10%. Mean values for T3 and T4 +/- SEM in the trout population studied (n = 34) were 23.6 +/- 1.2 and 12.0 +/- 2.3 ng/ml respectively. A positive and significant correlation (p < 0.005) between body weight and T3 was observed, confirming the active participation of this thyronine in growth processes.

Animals↗

[Clinical characterisation and power simulations to detect genetic linkage in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Antioquian families].

INTRODUCTION: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioural disorder whose essential characteristic is a persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Recent studies into prevalence carried out on the Antioquian population by our group found an overall prevalence of 15.8%, which confirms ADHD as one of the most frequent problems in infancy. The cause of this disorder is still not altogether clear; familial aggregation of ADHD points towards a genetic component. Although to date no model of inheritance has been defined, its high prevalence rate, the difficulties involved in its diagnosis and its effects on the cognitive functions, as well as the social and educational repercussions, make this disorder a problem in children's public health. AIMS: Our aim was to carry out power simulations to detect genetic linkage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Slink programme, which is part of Linkage package, was used in six families from the city of Medellín Antioquia, which is a region where a founding effect is likely to have taken place; this makes it a strategic zone for genetic linkage studies in complex diseases such as ADHD. RESULTS: Assuming the population to be homogenous, the lod score (Z) is greater than 3 (Z>3) and individual lod score values of between 0 and 6 were obtained for each family. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper we discuss the benefits of having multigenerational families, in Antioquia, to conduct gene mapping studies and we examine the different strategies to be developed with the findings reported here.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

[Relationship among total serum IgE, human giardiasis, and actual allergic signs].

The frequent association of human giardiasis with skin damages made the authors measure IgE serum levels by an ultramicroanalytical system in patients with clinical giardiasis, confirmed parasitologically. Possible stimulation of the total serum IgE response is studied, as well as its association with present allergic signs and the relationship with the cure of patients having giardiasis.

Erythema↗

[Chronic diarrhea and intestinal cytomegalic inclusion (author's transl)].

A case of chronic diarrhea resistent to treatment is presented. At autopsy a cytomegalic inclusion disease localized only in the gastrointestinal tract was found. This case seems to be a confirmation to the hypothesis that the cytomegalovirus may be cause of gastrointestinal disturbances in infants.

Autopsy↗

[Cost-benefit of the Schilling test using cobalt-57].

Our purpose in the present publication is to determine the cost-benefit relation of the Schilling test used to measure the intestinal absorption of radioactive vitamin B12. The 60Co-B12 urinary excretion Schilling test was first reported in 1953, and five years later it was being performed at the National Institute of Nutrition (INNSZ) in Mexico City. It was performed in its original version until 1969 and from 1970 to 1980, the direct absorption was measured with a whole-body counter. For the last nine years we have used the Schilling test with 57Co labeled cyanocobalamin. From January 1981 through March 1990, 240 of these tests were carried out in 120 patients. The results were tabulated and compared with their clinical diagnosis. We analyzed our laboratory and labor costs. An oral dose of 0.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 labelled with 18.5 Bq of 57Co is taken by the fasting patients and two hours later one mg of standard B12 vitamin is injected. Urine is collected for 48 hours and the radioactivity is measured in a scintillation counter. Three days later the test is repeated with an additional oral dose of intrinsic factor (IF). The total expense is calculated using the following factors: the cost of the imported radioactive vitamin, IF capsules, parenteral B12 vitamin, syringes, equipment use and its depreciation, laboratory material, and salaries for the professional and administrative personnel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Comparative study of peridural anesthesia with bupivacaine alone and combined with fentanyl during vaginal delivery].

Two groups of primiparous women with single fetus in cephalic presentation were prospectively randomized at the end of pregnancy to receive epidural analgesia with 0.25% bupivacaine, either single (n = 102) or associated with 0.05 mg of phentanyl (n = 102). Phentanyl significantly reduces the period of development of analgesia and increases the interdose period. The quality of analgesia is significantly better when fentanyl is associated with bupivacaine. The evolution of delivery (dilatation and expulsion) and the perinatal results (cord pH and vitality of the newborn as assessed by the Apgar test) were similar in both groups. We conclude that the association of phentanyl with bupivacaine has advantages for epidural analgesia during delivery, as the quality of analgesia is improved, its duration is prolonged and there are no adverse effects on the evolution of delivery or on the newborn.

Adult↗

[Role of prostaglandins in the antihypertensive effect of the converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril].

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) generates angiotensin II and is also capable of degrading bradykinin into inactive peptides. It has been suggested that the effects of ACE inhibitors are partially mediated by increased prostaglandin synthesis induced by a simultaneous rise in bradykinin. Captopril increases PG excretion and indomethacin (INDO) attenuates its effects. Enalapril is a long acting ACE inhibitor, and its molecule does not have the sulphydryl group present in captopril. In order to evaluate the participations of PG in a the ENA effects of enalapril (ENA) on arterial pressure (AP), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (ALDO) and renal hemodynamics (RH) in essential hypertension (EHT), we compared the effects of ENA alone and associated with INDO. Nine EHT patients received on different occasions: ENA 10 mg, INDO 25 mg and ENA-INDO. Arterial pressure, PGE2, ALDO, PRA, RH and plasma and urinary ENA as enalaprylate were measured after each treatment. Maximal ENA absorption occurred after 4 hours, however it was still detectable after 72 hr. ENA decreased AP after 6 hr in spite of unchanged PGE2 excretion; PRA did not change and ALDO decreased transiently. INDO delayed ENA absorption, slightly attenuated the fall in AP and suppressed PGE2 excretion when given with ENA. INDO alone suppressed PGE2 and did not alter AP. No significant changes occurred in RH with the treatments. Our results suggest that the antihypertensive effect of ENA is independent of PG, and that the slight attenuation induced by INDO may be attributed to a delay in intestinal absorption. In EHT patients under normovolemic conditions, renal function is not altered by ACE inhibition.

Adult↗

[Congenital tuberculosis (author's transl)].

The present case report concerns a term infant, born of a mother with an undiagnosed tuberculosis, which was proved by inguinal lymph node biopsy to have numerous acid-fast bacilli; sequence of events supports the thesis that infant had acquired infection transplacentally. Literature is reviewed and diagnosis, prophylaxis, chemotherapy of this infrequent disease with a grave prognosis is commented, emphasizing success of chemotherapy in this infant.

Biopsy↗

[Rheumatic activity in patients with heart valve replacements].

We made a comparative analyses of the clinical, laboratory and histological findings between two groups of patients: Group A was composed of rheumatic patients operated upon for valvular substitution. Group B included patients who were taken to cardiac surgery for non rheumatic reasons.

Adolescent↗