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Background: Students should be encouraged to become reflexive and develop autonomous, lifelong learning habits. Therefore, teachers should focus on learning strategies which stimulate autonomous learning. Aim: To assess the impact of a self-directed teaching methodology on the academic performance of medical students in cellular biology and biochemistry. Materials and Methods: During 2013, 85 students received a traditional teaching methodology and during 2014, 85 students received a self-directed learning methodology. The grades obtained and the number of failures in the courses of cellular biology and biochemistry were compared in both groups. Results: The percentages of students approved at the end of the courses during 2013 and 2014 were 64 and 96% respectively (p < 0.01). The grades obtained by the 2014 students were also significantly higher than those obtained by 2013 students. Conclusions: This study confirms that academic performance improves with a self-directed teaching approach.
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Humans , Male , Female , Young Adult , Students, Medical , Teaching , Education, Medical/methods , Educational Measurement/methods , Educational Status , Self-Directed Learning as TopicABSTRACT
Resumen Introducción: La isquemia mesenterica se clasifica, según su etiología, en: embolismo arterial, trombosis arterial patologías no oclusivas y trombosis venosa mesenterica (TVM), que es la causa de laparotomía exploradora en 1 de cada 1000 pacientes con síndrome abdominal agudo. Es más común entre la quinta y la sexta décadas de la vida. Caso clínico: Masculino de 31 años de edad, afroamericano, sin antecedentes médicos. Con dolor abdominal generalizado de 72 horas de evolución. Con signos positivos de irritación peritoneal. La tomografia con defecto de llenado en vena mesenterica superior, vena esplénica y vena porta. Se realizó laparotomía de urgencia que requirió resección intestinal por necrosis de yeyuno. Se realizaron estudios hematológicos, oncológicos y autoinmunes sin hallazgos positivos. Discusión: Latrombosis venosa por lo regulares secundaria a síndromes de hipercoagulabilidad o neoplasias. La presentación clínica es inespecífica. En cuanto a los estudios de imagen que se pueden solicitar: ultrasonido, tomografia o resonancia magnética y angiografia percutánea con catéter. Las principales opciones terapéuticas para la isquemia mesenterica aguda son: el tratamiento endovascular, la revascularización quirúrgica, la anticoagulación y laparotomía exploradora en caso de complicaciones viscerales. Conclusión: Aunque es una patología poco frecuente, el médico debe estar familiarizado con su fisiopatologia, diagnóstico y las principales alternativas terapéuticas que hay para ella.
Abstract Background: Four common causes of mesenteric ischemia identified: arterial embolism, arterial thrombosis, non-occlusive pathologies and mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT). MVT is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain and accounts for 1 in 1000 emergency surgical laparotomies for acute abdomen. Case Presentation: A 31 year old male, previously healthy, with 72 hour history of generalized abdominal pain on examination with signs of peritonitis. He underwent a computed tomographic (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis, which demonstrated thrombosis of the portal, splenic and superior mesenteric veins. A laparotomy was performed, we found jejunal necrosis and a bowel resection was required. Hematologic, oncologic and autoimmune studies were performed and all of them were negative. Discussion: Venous thrombosis is almost always secondary to other pathologies. The principle ones are: hypercoagulability and occult neoplasia. The clinical presentation is non-specific. To make a diagnosis one can use: a Doppler ultrasound, a CT angiography, a magnetic resonance and a catheter angiography. The available treatments for acute mesenteric ischemia are: endovascular procedures, bypass surgery, anticoagulation and a laparotomy to treat visceral complications. Conclusion: Even if this is an uncommon pathology, physicians need to be aware of pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia.
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Introducción. En un estudio previo se realizó una reducción a 16 horas en la evaluación de la ley exponencial de la dinámica cardiaca caótica, mostrando su efectividad en la caracterización de enfermedad y normalidad. Objetivo. Confirmar la aplicabilidad clínica de la ley matemática exponencial para evaluar la dinámica cardiaca caótica a partir de los registros Holter en 16 horas, observando su utilidad diagnóstica al disminuir su tiempo de evaluación. Diseño. Estudio observacional de corte trasversal donde se avaluó los parámetros electrocardiográficos mediante metodologías físico matemáticas inductivas con una confirmación estadística. Metodología. Se tomaron 100 registros Holter con diferentes tipos de patología, y 40 Holter que fueron diagnosticados como normales. Para cada Holter se construyó un atractor caótico, y midiendo sus espacios de ocupación y dimensión fractal se aplicó la evaluación matemática para diferenciar normalidad de enfermedad. Finalmente se realizaron medidas de concordancia diagnostica respecto al estándar de oro. Resultados. La ocupación espacial de todos los atractores estuvieron dentro de los valores esperados; los registros normales presentaron en la rejilla Kp valores entre 205 y 423. Para los registros con enfermedad aguda, estos valores oscilaron entre 21 y 65; y para los registros de enfermedad crónica estos valores estuvieron entre 104 y 195. Los valores de sensibilidad y especificidad fueron de 100% y el coeficiente Kappa fue de 1. Conclusión. El presente estudio muestra la aplicabilidad clínica de esta metodología para la evaluación en 16 horas de registros electrocardiográficos continuos o Holter.
Introduction: In a previous study, a 16-hour reduction in the evaluation of the exponential law of chaotic cardiac dynamics was done, showing its effectiveness in the characterization of disease and normality. Objective: To confirm the clinical applicability of the exponential mathematical law to evaluate chaotic cardiac dynamics from the Holter registers in 16 hours, observing its diagnostic utility when reducing its evaluation time. Design: Cross-sectional observational study where the electrocardiographic parameters were evaluated using inductive mathematical methodologies with statistical confirmation. Methodology: We obtained 100 Holter records from patients with different types of pathology, and 40 Holter that were diagnosed as normal. For each Holter, a chaotic attractor was constructed, and measuring their spaces of occupation and fractal dimension, the mathematical evaluation to differentiate normality of disease was applied. Finally, we calculated measures of diagnostic concordance in accordance with the gold standard. Results: The spatial occupation of all the attractors was within the expected values; the normal records had values in the Kp grid between 205 and 423. For the records with acute disease, these values ranged from 21 y 65; and for chronic disease registries these values ranged from 104 y 195. The values of sensitivity and specificity were 100% and the Kappa coefficient was 1. Conclusion: The present study shows the clinical applicability of this methodology for the evaluation in 16 hours of continuous electrocardiographic or Holter registers.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of yeasts, pseudomonads and enteric bacteria in the oral cavity of patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for treatment of head and neck cancer. Fifty patients receiving RT were examined before, during and 30 days after RT. Saliva, mucosa, and biofilm samples were collected and microorganisms were detected by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The most prevalent yeasts in patients submitted to RT were Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis. Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Pseudomonas were the most frequently cultivated bacteria. Before RT, targeted bacteria were cultivated from 22.2 percent of edentulous patients and 16.6 percent of dentate patients; 30 days after RT, these microorganisms were recovered from 77.8 percent edentulous and 46.8 percent dentate patients. By PCR, these microorganisms were detected from all edentulous patients, 78.1 percent of dentate patients. The presence of Gram-negative enteric roads and fungi was particularly frequent in patients presenting mucositis level III or IV. Modifications in the oral environment due to RT treatment seem to facilitate the colonization of oral cavity by members of family Enterobacteriaceae, genera Enterococcus and Candida.
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Humans , Enterobacteriaceae Infections , Enterobacteriaceae/isolation & purification , In Vitro Techniques , Yeasts/isolation & purification , Mouth , Noma , Radiotherapy , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Surgical Procedures, Operative , Biofilms , Dental Plaque , Methods , Prevalence , MethodsABSTRACT
Paciente de 54 anos de idade, sexo feminino, apresentando nódulo mamário de contornos mal definidos, heterogênio, na região interna da mama direita (Figura 1). A paciente foi submetida a quadrantectomia, com diagnóstico anatomopatológico de carcinoma de mama, e a radioterapia pós-operatória. Após oito meses do tratamento observou-se aparecimento de massa de grandes dimensões no leito cirúrgico (Figura 2). Foi realizada complementação diagnóstica com ultra-sonografia (Figura 3) e tomografia computadorizada de mama direita.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Breast Neoplasms , Carcinoma , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Mammography , Postoperative CareABSTRACT
Os autores estudaram 30 pacientes, portadoras de nódulos mam rios, através da ultra-sonografia associada ao Doppler puls til näo colorido, para detectar fluxo sangüíneo anormal. O fluxo, quando presente, foi classificado em três tipos: leve, moderado e acentuado, procurando-se associá-los ao tipo de tumor. Os resultados mostraram para o método uma sensibilidade de 0,84; especificidade de 0,82; valor preditivo positivo de 0,89 e valor preditivo negativo de 0,75.