Tabla de la normalidad de las pruebas psicométricas para el diagnóstico de encefalopatía hepática subclínica en la población Dominicana / Score of normality psychometric tests for the diagnosis of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in the Dominican Population

Introducción: La encefalopatía hepática mínima (EHM), es una enfermedad definida por la existencia de varias alteraciones neurofisiológicas, indetectables a la exploración neurológica y el examen clínico. Dentro de las estrategias diagnosticas para la EHM se contemplan las pruebas psicométricas (PHE), pero para su aplicación es indispensable la estandarización previamente en la población de estudio. Objetivo: El estudio se propuso determinar la tabla de la normalidad de las PHE para diagnosticar la encefalopatía hepática subclínica en una muestra de la población dominicana. Método: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, prospectivo y transversal en un hospital de referencia nacional. Se analizaron 134 personas clasificados por grupos de edades (18-70 años de edad) y años de escolaridad. Se diseñó una tabla de 5x5. Se estudió la influencia de la edad, sexo, uso de espejuelo y de los años de escolarización en el rendimiento de cada uno de las PHE, para lo cual se utilizaron las siguientes pruebas estadísticas: análisis de varianza (ANOVA), prueba t de Student y regresión lineal. Resultado: La escolaridad y la edad fueron variables determinantes en el desempeño de las 5 pruebas psicométricas. Pero, la correlación univariable de la edad con el desempeño de la prueba TMS no hubo diferencias intra e inter grupos estadísticamente significativas (p>0.171). Conclusión: se confecciono la fórmula de predicción de resultados de los test psicométricos. Ninguno sobrepasó el punto de corte de la puntuación que oscila entre los -4 y los +2 puntos.

Introduction: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a disease defined by the existence of several neurophysiological alterations, undetectable by neurological examination and clinical examination. Among the diagnostic strategies for EHM, psychometric tests (PHE) are contemplated, but for their application, prior standardization in the study population is essential. Objective: The study will need to determine the normality table of PHE to detect subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in a sample of the Dominican population. Method: A descriptive, prospective and cross-sectional study was carried out in a national reference hospital. 134 people classified by age groups (18-70 years of age) and years of schooling were analyzed. A 5x5 board is recommended. The influence of age, sex, use of glasses and years of schooling on the performance of each one of the PHEs was studied, for which the following statistical tests were used: analysis of variance (ANOVA), Student's t test and linear regression. Result: Schooling and age were determining variables in the performance of the 5 psychometric tests. But, the univariate coincidence of age with the performance of the TMS test, there were no statistically significant intra and inter group differences (p>0.171). Conclusion: the formula for predicting the results of the psychometric tests was made. None exceeded the cut-off point of the score that oscillates between -4 and +2 points.

Can domestic dogs be considered a good reservoir of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi in an endemic area of nonulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis in Southern Honduras?

ABSTRACT Dogs are considered to be the main domestic reservoir associated with the transmission of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi to humans in endemic areas of visceral leishmaniasis in America. However, little is known about the role of canines as a source of infection in endemic areas of nonulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis (NUCL). Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the role of dogs as a possible reservoir of the parasite in Southern Honduras. Dogs (n = 107) living with individuals affected by NUCL were clinically examined and biological material was collected for parasitological and immunological diagnosis. Most animals showed a healthy appearance and a few presented slight weight loss (64%), alopecia (7%), onychogryphosis (5%) and skin lesions (1%). The overall seroprevalence of Leishmania infection based on the DDP ® quick test and/or in-house ELISA serological test was 41%. The presence of the parasite's DNA was confirmed in 94% of the dogs; however, the average parasite load in the buffy coat was low at 6.09 parasites/µL, ranging between 0.221 and 50.2. The skin of seropositive dogs examined by histopathology using paraffin sections stained by hematoxylin and immunohistochemistry did not show cutaneous lesions or parasite amastigotes. Based on the absence of parasites in the skin and the low parasite load detected in the buffy coat, it seems that the dog does not represent a good source of infection for the vector in the endemic area of NUCL transmission in Southern Honduras. Other domestic and/or wild animals should be investigated.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU in a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil - study protocol

OBJECTIVES: We designed a cohort study to describe characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the largest public hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as Latin America becomes the epicenter of the pandemic. METHODS: This is the protocol for a study being conducted at an academic hospital in Brazil with 300 adult ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients. We will include adult patients admitted to the ICU with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during the study period. The main outcome is ICU survival at 28 days. Data will be collected prospectively and retrospectively by trained investigators from the hospital's electronic medical records, using an electronic data capture tool. We will collect data on demographics, comorbidities, severity of disease, and laboratorial test results at admission. Information on the need for advanced life support and ventilator parameters will be collected during ICU stay. Patients will be followed up for 28 days in the ICU and 60 days in the hospital. We will plot Kaplan-Meier curves to estimate ICU and hospital survival and perform survival analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model to identify the main risk factors for mortality. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04378582. RESULTS: We expect to include a large sample of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU and to be able to provide data on admission characteristics, use of advanced life support, ICU survival at 28 days, and hospital survival at 60 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide epidemiological data about critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Brazil, which could inform health policy and resource allocation in low- and middle-income countries.

PET-CT en la Epilepsia Refractaria / PET-CT in Drug Resistant Epilepsy

La epilepsia es un trastorno neurológico frecuente en países en vías de desarrollo. Aproximadamente el 30 a 40% es refractaria al tratamiento. El tratamiento quirúrgico en la epilepsia refractaria es una opción en los pacientes con foco epileptógeno único localizado fuera de una zona elocuente. La selección adecuada del paciente es la clave para éxito del tratamiento. La tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET-CT) ha demostrado gran utilidad en la evaluación prequirúrgica en los pacientes con epilepsia refractaria al tratamiento.

Epilepsy is a frequent neurological disorder in developing countries. Approximately 30 to 40% is refractory to treatment. Surgical treatment in drug resistant epilepsy is an option in patients with a single epileptogenic focus located outside of an eloquent area. Adequate patient selection is the key to treatment success. Positron emission tomography (PET-CT) has shown great utility in pre-surgical evaluation in patients with epilepsy drug resistant epilepsy.

Mamografía por emisión de positrones (PEM) / Positron emission mammography (PEM)

La mamografía por emisión de positrones (PEM) es un estudio de medicina nuclear molecular que utiliza radios trazadores administrados de forma intravenosa, adquiriendo imágenes para localización de la lesión tumoral, así como la valoración de su metabolismo. El pequeño tamaño del detector en estos equipos facilita el uso de componentes de alta resolución y permite una mayor cercanía a la fuente, aumentando la sensibilidad para los fotones de aniquilación. PEM es una modalidad de imagen que utiliza el mismo posicionamiento que la imagen de mamografía. Los resultados del PEM nos son afectados por la densidad mamaria, llegando a obtenerse valores con alta sensibilidad y especificidad para la detección de tumores más pequeños, en etapas más tempranas que el resto de los métodos convencionales de imagen, es de gran utilidad en la estadificación y planeación quirúrgica de la enfermedad, también disminuye el número de procedimientos innecesarios, así como la morbimortalidad en el cáncer de mama.

The PEM is a molecular nuclear medicine study that uses radiotracer administered intravenously, acquiring images to locate the tumor lesion, as well as the assessment of its metabolism. The small size of the detector in these devices facilitates the use of high resolution components and allows a closer proximity to the source, increasing the sensitivity for annihilation photons. Positron emission mammography (PEM) is an image modality that uses the same positioning as the mammography image. The results of the PEM are affected by mammary density, reaching values with high sensitivity and specificity for detection of smaller tumors, in earlier stages than the rest of conventional imaging methods, it is very useful in staging and planning Surgical disease and decreases the number of unnecessary procedures, as well as morbidity and mortality in breast cancer.