ABSTRACT
The SARS-CoV-2 virus affects all age groups. According to the Colombian National Institute of Health, by November 5, 2020, nearly 83,698 children under 18 years of age had been infected by the virus in Colombia. The probability of viral transmission in this age group is similar to that found in adults, even in asymptomatic individuals 1,2. The World Health Organization has advocated social distancing, hand washing and the use of face masks as effective measures to mitigate contagion, and healthcare institutions have implemented measures for the protection of patients and healthcare workers in order to cope with this "new normal" at work 3-5. In accordance with national and international recommendations, our institution has implemented a new preoperative care protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic.
El virus SARS-CoV-2 afecta a todos los grupos de edad. Según el Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia, al 5 de noviembre de 2020, cerca de 83.698 niños menores de 18 años habían sido infectados por el virus en Colombia. La probabilidad de transmisión viral en este grupo de edad es similar a la encontrada en adultos, incluso en individuos asintomáticos 1 , 2 . La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha abogado por el distanciamiento social, el lavado de manos y el uso de mascarillas como medidas efectivas para mitigar el contagio, y las instituciones de salud han implementado medidas para la protección de pacientes y trabajadores de la salud para hacer frente a esta "nueva normalidad" en el trabajo. 3 - 5. De acuerdo con las recomendaciones nacionales e internacionales, nuestra institución ha implementado un nuevo protocolo de atención preoperatoria durante la pandemia de COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Viruses , Risk , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Preoperative Care , Hand Disinfection , Health Personnel , Delivery of Health Care , Physical Distancing , COVID-19 , Health FacilitiesABSTRACT
Aim: Identification of anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis agents of plant origin, against sensitive and multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. Study Design: Assessing anti-M. tuberculosis activity of five Indian medicinal plants, which have been reported in traditional literature for various uses including respiratory ailments. Place and Duration of Study: Mumbai, India; May 2009 – December 2011. Methodology of Study: The reference strain (H37Rv), three susceptible and three MDR clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis were used. Acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts (prepared sequentially) of Acorus calamus L. (rhizome), Andrographis paniculata Nees. (leaf), Ocimum sanctum L. (leaf), Piper nigrum L. (seed) and Pueraria tuberosa DC. (tuber) were tested at 1, 10 and 100 μg/ml using the Microplate Alamar Blue Assay. The active extracts were assessed for cytotoxicity on the human lung epithelial cell line (A549) using the neutral red assay and a phytochemical analysis was made using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Results: Among the plants tested, the acetone extract of P. nigrum appears promising. It was effective against H37Rv, all susceptible isolates and one MDR isolate at 100 μg/ml. The ethanol extract caused some inhibition of growth, though less than the cut-off of 99%. A combination of acetone and ethanol extracts at 50 μg/ml each was effective against all isolates tested. The known active phytoconstituent of P. nigrum, piperine (also an efflux pump inhibitor), was effective against H37Rv in the presence of suboptimal concentration of Rifampicin, but not against the clinical isolates tested. Presence of piperine in the acetone and ethanol extracts was confirmed by HPTLC. Extracts of P. nigrum and piperine were not cytotoxic to the A549 cell line. Conclusion: Amongst the five plants tested, P. nigrum was active. The acetone extract may have active components in addition to piperine. It is possible that the class and expression of efflux pumps in H37Rv is different from that in the clinical isolates, and hence piperine did not inhibit these isolates. Thus, it is necessary to screen clinical isolates in addition to reference strains. The observation of the increased efficacy of the combination of acetone and ethanol extracts is interesting.