Aspectos epidemiológicos dos traumatismos cranioencefálicosatendidos no hospital regional do agreste de pernambuco de 2006 a 2007 / Epidemiological aspects of brain and head injuries treated at the Hospital Regional do Agreste de Pernambuco from 2006 to 2007

Objetivo: Identificar a prevalência de traumatismo cranioencefálico (TCE) e de fatores relacionados em vítimas atendidas no Hospital Regional do Agreste de Pernambuco (HRAPE) e caracterizar o perfil sociodemográfico destas vítimas. Método: Trata-se de um estudo documental com coleta de dados individuais das fichas de internamento dos pacientes que deram entrada no HRA-PE com diagnóstico de TCE nos anos de 2006 e 2007. Asvariáveis estudadas foram: prevalência de casos, procedência das vítimas, sexo, idade, causa relacionada ao trauma e quadro neurológico a partir da escala de Glasgow. Resultados: A amostra foi composta de prontuários de 171 vítimas. O maior número de casos ocorreu em2007, com 125 (73,1%) casos. Dos casos registrados, 139 (81,4%) eram do sexo masculino, 92(53,8%) solteiros e 45(26,3%) na faixa de 21 a 30 anos. A queda foi causa em 52 (30,4%) casos, seguida por 34 (19,9%) casos de acidentes de moto. Lesões vasculares ocorreram em 55(32,2%) casos, sendo de maior frequencia que as lesões ósseas e nervosas, ocorridas em 39 (22,8%) e 34 (19,9%) casos, respectivamente. A Escala de Coma de Glasgow média foi de 11+ 4. Do total da amostra pesquisada, 20 (11,7%) pacientes estavam alcoolizados no momento do trauma, 106 (62%) precisaram de tratamento conservador e 18 (10,5%) evoluíram para o óbito. Conclusão: Houve uma elevada prevalência de traumatismocranioencefálico no Hospital Regional do Agreste-PE nos anos de 2006 e 2007, com predominância de vítimas jovens do sexo masculino, solteiros. O consumo de álcool pode ser constatado em percentual representativo das vítimas e as lesões mais frequentes foram decorrentes de quedas e acidentes de moto.

Objective: To identify the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and related factors in victims treated at the Hospital Regional do Agreste de Pernambuco (HRA-PE) and characterize the sociodemographic profile of the victims. Method: This is a documentary study with individual data collection from hospital records of patients who were admitted to the HRA-PE with a diagnosis of TBI in the years 2006 and 2007. The variables studied were: prevalence of cases, origin of victims, sex, age, cause-related trauma and neurological symptoms from the Glasgow scale. Results: The sample consisted of records of 171 victims. The largest number of cases occurred in 2007, with 125 (73.1%) cases. Of the cases reported 139 (81.4%) were male, 92 (53.8%) were single and 45 (26.3%) were in the range of 21-30 years old. Falling was the cause of trauma in 52 (30.4%) cases, followed by 34 (19.9%) cases of motorcycle accidents. Vascular injuries occurred in 55 (32.2%) cases, with greaterfrequency then nerve and bone injuries, occurring in 39 (22.8%) and 34 (19.9%) cases, respectively. The average Glasgow Coma Scale was 11 + 4. Of the total sample surveyed, 20 (11.7%) patients were intoxicated at the time of trauma, 106 (62%) needed conservative treatment and 18 (10.5%) subsequently died. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence oftraumatic brain injury at the HRA-PE in the years 2006 and 2007, with a predominance of young single male victims. Alcohol consumption was found in a representative percentage of the victims and the most frequent injuries were caused by falls and motorcycle accidents.

Evaluation of the central activity of the ethanolic extract of Acosmium subelegans (Mohlenbr) in mice

The ethanolic extract (EE) of Acosmium subelegans (Mohlenbr) Yakovl (perobinha-do-campo) was tested to behavioral paradigms in mice to investigate its putative central depressant effect. Oral pretreatment with the EE significantly reduced in a dose-dependent way the locomotor activity and increased by 30-55 percent the barbiturate sleep duration relatively to control values. At the highest dose (1,0 g.kg-1) it decreased the extension time/flexion time ratio of the maximal electroshockinduced convulsions, enhanced the latency to the pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions and diminished by 26 percent the number of seizures, indicating an anticonvulsant action. No changes were observed in the motor coordination, the core temperature, climbing behavior, catalepsy and the plus-maze performance. The preliminary results indicate that the EE of A. subelegans induce a CNS depressant effect, more specifically an anticonvulsant effect that deserve a thorough investigation.